Maria Sharapova (click to enlarge)
I have no idea who’s going to win the women’s singles title at the Australian Open 2018. I suppose technically nobody really knows unless you somehow have a sports almanac from the future and you’re busy amassing your fortune. The defending champion, Serena Williams, isn’t quite ready to come back and compete. There were some serious complications arising from the birth of her child. She’ll be back when she’s ready. So that leaves things up in the air when it comes to the women’s singles draw. I could easily make a legitimate argument for a dozen players to win the title. Just because the lead picture that I posted was of Maria Sharapova holding the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, it does not in any way mean that I think she’s the favorite. In fact, she has a very difficult draw and will be lucky to get out of the first couple of rounds. There is no clear-cut favorite in my mind. I’m just looking forward to a great two weeks in Melbourne. Let the play begin.
Fairways and Forehands 