Halep leads host of contenders for Serena’s crown

TIL Desk Sports/ Picking a women’s singles champion at the Australian Open could resemble a lucky dip this year with Serena Williams’ continued absence again leaving the door ajar. Who will kick it open is a question that a legion of tennis pundits find difficult to answer with any degree of certainty.

The American, who won the title last year in Melbourne despite being in the early weeks of pregnancy to take her Grand Slam tally to 23, decided against trying to defend her title, saying she was not yet fully up to speed.

Whether or not she could have won a 24th Slam, and her first as a mother and wife, is open to question considering her lack of match practice, although if any one could do it the 36-year-old would be the one.

She will be back on the trophy hunt later this year but in the meantime the spotlight falls on those hoping to try and establish themselves as long-term successors to the greatest player the women’s game has seen.

Simona Halep arrives as world number one but is yet to win a Grand Slam title, having fallen agonisingly short at the French Open last year when she was ambushed by the ferocious hitting of Latvian Jelena Ostapenko.