AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2014 - LET THE DRAMA BEGIN

The dawn of a new Grand Slam brings it with all kinds of anticipation and questions.  As much as tennis fans suffer some amount of burn out by the end of the season ending championships, much like the players do, we all look forward to the start of the season and what that holds for our favourite players.  It also helps that lots of tennis fans, especially those who reside in countries where winter is wreaking havoc, seeing sunshine, even if it is only through their tv sets must bring some amount of cheer. 

For some of us who live in warmer countries, just seeing our favourite players in their new tennis kits on the beautiful courts in Australia is enough to make us open a bottle of Red Stripe beer, turn off the cell phones, put our feet up and think #SleepIsForTheWeak

The women's draw has been made and it is as balanced as you could ever want a draw to be.  There will never be a dull moment Down Under for the ladies as every day will feature some great match ups from not only the Big 3 in women's tennis, but for those who make up the rest of the draw. 

Ace believes that the winner come from the top half of the draw and his quarter final and onwards picks are below:

Q1: S Williams vs Bouchard

Q2: Li vs Kvitova

Q3: Petkovic vs Sharapova

Q4: Wozniacki vs Azarenka

S1: S Williams vs Li

S2: Sharapova vs Azarenka

F: S Williams vs Sharapova

W: S Williams

Ace has made some bold predictions with the various quarters and it will be interesting to see how Ace's picks pan out over the next few weeks

As is the norm, Spin will be giving her picks on each day of play followed up by a review of the best match of the day. 

Tennis fans will be getting a good look at what the new hires have brought to the games of some of our favourite players and Spin readers can vote to see which player has gained the most from her recent coaching hire.  

Day 1 OOP and Spin's Picks 

Serena Williams (USA) [1] v Ashleigh Barty (AUS) - Williams

Vesna Dolonc (SRB) v Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) - Dolonc

Pauline Parmentier (FRA) v Karolina Pliskova (CZE) - Pliskova

Heather Watson (GBR) v Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) [31] - Hantuchova

Samantha Stosur (AUS) [17] v Klara Zakopalova (CZE) - Stosur

Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) v Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) - Pironkova

Annika Beck (GER) v Petra Martic (CRO) - Beck 

Kiki Bertens (NED) v Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [14] - Ivanovic

Roberta Vinci (ITA) [12] v Jie Zheng (CHN) - Zheng

P.Mayr-Achleitner (AUT) v Madison Keys (USA) - Keys 

Casey Dellacqua (AUS) v Vera Zvonareva (RUS) - Dellacqua

Laura Robson (GBR) v Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) [18] - Flipkens

Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) [30] v Hao Chen Tang (CHN) - Bouchard

Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) v Virginie Razzano (FRA) - Razzano 

Sachia Vickery (USA) Lauren Davis (USA) - Davis

Julia Goerges (GER) v Sara Errani (ITA) [7] - Errani

Na Li (CHN) [4] v Ana Konjuh (CRO) - Li 

Belinda Bencic (SUI) v Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) - Krumm

Donna Vekic (CRO) v Lucie Hradecka (CZE) - Vekic

Julia Glushko (ISR) v Lucie Safarova (CZE) [26] - Safarova

Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) [22] v Venus Williams (USA) - Williams

A.Medina Garrigues (ESP) v Irina Falconi (USA) - Falconi

Shahar Peer (ISR) v Monica Niculescu (ROU) - Niculescu

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) v Sabine Lisicki (GER) [15] - Lisicki

Angelique Kerber (GER) [9] v Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) - Kerber

Caroline Garcia (FRA) v Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) - Garcia

Dinah Pfizenmaier (GER) v Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) - Pfizenmaier

Alison Riske (USA) v Elena Vesnina (RUS) [23] - Riske

Flavia Pennetta (ITA) [28] v Alexandra Cadantu (ROU) - Pennetta

Monica Puig (PUR) v Ana Tatishvili (GEO) - Puig

Shuai Zhang (CHN) v Mona Barthel (GER)- Zhang

Luksika Kumkhum (THA) v Petra Kvitova (CZE) [6] - Kvitova

Let the carnage begin