In an ideal world, I think this tournament should be pushed back another month so players can get into a better rhythm when reaching Melbourne Park, but the Tour is pretty set in stone to this point and I don't foresee that happening any time soon.
The familiar faces will be the leading contenders this week in both the men's and women's events, particularly with the way the draws have panned out. Below you can see my preview of both events as well as the outright picks from this two week tournament.
Men's Tournament
First Quarter
For the first time since the Wimbledon tournament of 2011, Rafael Nadal, has the privilege of being the Number 1 seed at a Grand Slam tournament. After a stellar return from a seven month lay off in 2013, Nadal won 2 of the 3 Grand Slam tournaments he competed in and returned to the World Number 1 Ranking in October, but he remains the second favourite to win this event after the draw confirmed that.
He hasn't been given the easiest starts to the tournament with home hope Bernard Tomic in the First Round, but the latter has too many lapses in his play to think he can win a best of five set match against the Spaniard.
Gael Monfils has made a strong start to 2014 and could produce fireworks in a potential Third Round clash against Nadal, while a rejuvenated Lleyton Hewitt beat Roger Federer in Brisbane to win the title and would be a potential Fourth Round opponent.
While they can make life difficult, it again seems a little far-fetched to see either of those players being able to ride the crest of a wave for over three hours against Nadal in a best of five set match.
The biggest danger for Nadal will most likely come from the bottom half of this quarter in the form of Juan Martin Del Potro who won the title in Sydney last week and is one of the few players that can hit through Nadal consistently when on his game. He had a poor 2013 Australian Open which resulted in an early exit, but the draw looks a decent one for Del Potro to get comfortable into the event this time around.
Someone like Grigor Dimitrov or Milos Raonic could be a troublesome Fourth Round opponent for Del Potro, but anything other than the seeded Quarter Final would be a surprise and it may come down to which of the two players has negotiated their way through the draw more effectively.
First Quarter Prediction: I like Rafael Nadal to come through against Juan Martin Del Potro
Second Quarter
The second quarter of the draw looks one of the more open ones in the section as the two highest seeded players, Andy Murray and Roger Federer, have some big questions to answer if they are to get through to the Semi Final.
Andy Murray is coming off a long lay-off where he went through surgery on his back and the expectation in the British camp has been kept fairly low due to that with his best tennis not expected until later in the season. The draw hasn't helped Murray with a potentially tough Third Round match against Judy Murray's favourite, Feliciano Lopez, and the Fourth Round seeded to play John Isner, although the big American has been hobbled despite winning in Auckland.
Roger Federer may have reached the Final in Brisbane, but a defeat to Lleyton Hewitt in that event once again highlighted that the former World Number 1 is as vulnerable as he has been for a few years and he can't expect an easy passage through the draw. Someone like Fernando Verdasco would have been a routine win for Federer in years gone by, but he has lost to worse players than the Spaniard which makes that Third Round match look dangerous.
The biggest threat in the section to both men may come in the form of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a former Finalist at the Australian Open, but one who has to negotiate a couple of tough early matches himself. Tsonga pushed Federer to five sets here last season and has beaten Andy Murray in an exhibition match so the Frenchman could be the man to come through to face Nadal from an awkward portion of the draw.
Second Quarter Prediction: How about a surprise Semi Finalist in the form of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga?
Third Quarter
While the second quarter of the draw has the star names, the third quarter looks one devoid of serious threats to win the whole tournament, even with the Number 3 seeded David Ferrer and Number 7 seeded Tomas Berdych in the section.
Out of the two players, I think Berdych is the one that can come through with the way the draw has panned out as he has the lesser question marks about him compared with Ferrer who I do think will slide down the Rankings this season.
Berdych has a couple of comfortable Rounds to negotiate and should get the better of either Ivo Karlovic or Ivan Dodig in the Third Round despite losing to the former in Doha. He has dominated Kevin Anderson, a potential Fourth Round opponent, although the bigger threat may come from Tommy Haas.
The German veteran, however, failed to really produce consistently in the Grand Slams last season and has too many lapses to guarantee his place in the Fourth Round, especially with Kevin Anderson as a Third Round opponent albeit one that hasn't played a match this season because of an infection.
In the last couple of years, David Ferrer could be said to have landed in a great section of the draw, but the last six months has seen his consistency begin to slip. Even matches where I would expect him to win have seen the Spaniard fall to a defeat and he isn't as trustworthy to beat those he should anymore.
The draw hasn't produced a genuine player that I would fancy to beat a Ferrer on form, but someone like Jeremy Chardy could be the man to do so in the Third Round or perhaps Alexandr Dolgopolov, although the latter is another that can be erratic at best.
Third Quarter Prediction: Tomas Berdych may take advantage of David Ferrer's loss of form
Fourth Quarter
Novak Djokovic has won this event three times in a row and is the big favourite to make it four in a row after the draw was made at the end of last week. It would be a big surprise to me if Novak Djokovic was to drop more than a couple of sets in the first four matches he is likely to play here, that is how kind the draw has been for him, and I expect him to get through to the Quarter Final without too many real concerns.
That Quarter Final will present his biggest challenge of the tournament to that point with the likes of Richard Gasquet and Stanislas Wawrinka the two big players in that part of the draw.
Gasquet has definitely improved mentally and I think his run at the US Open will give him more confidence that he deserves his place amongst the best players on the Tour. Wawrinka will have the same mental belief coming into this season after an impressive 2013 himself and could very much overtake Roger Federer as the Swiss Number 1 by the end of the year.
The problem for these two players is that they are likely going to face one another in the Quarter Final and anything like a repeat of their French Open Fourth Round clash from last season could see Djokovic pick at the carcass in the next Round.
I think Djokovic will certainly hope it isn't Wawrinka who comes through after the latter gave him fits at the Australian and US Opens in 2013, but he might also be fortunate in facing a tired opponent by that point and take full advantage.
Fourth Quarter Prediction: Novak Djokovic has the most comfortable path to the Semi Final
Winner and Outright Picks
Out of all the potential winners of this tournament, Novak Djokovic has to be rubbing his hands together at the way the draw has panned out and I think it will take something special to stop him winning at Melbourne Park for the fourth time in a row and for his fifth time overall.
His path through to the Final means he will miss most of the real contenders for the title until the Final and he may be in a position to pick off someone who has come through a much harder part of the section. There is the alternative belief that the player coming out of the top half will at least be battle-hardened, but I think Djokovic has so much experience that he will be ready to go and coming through a couple of tough matches in the Quarter Final and Semi Final will aid him enough.
It's a little boring and 'in the box' to think that Rafael Nadal is going to be his most likely opponent, although the Spaniard has a couple of real obstacles to negotiate. Roger Federer and Andy Murray look vulnerable so I will back Novak Djokovic to win the event yet again, even at odds on.
The vulnerabilities of Murray and Federer that I highlighted above means I will also have a small interest in Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to come through the second quarter of the draw and I will also back Tomas Berdych in the third quarter of the draw.
Women's Tournament
First Quarter
There is no doubt which player is going to be the favourite to win any tournament she enters this season and the Number 1 seed is rightly where Serena Williams finds herself going into the first Grand Slam tournament of the season. There is a real suggestion that Williams goal for the year is to win every Grand Slam title and exert her dominance over the women's game.
Williams can't have asked for a much better draw as her two main rivals are in the opposite half of the draw and her quarter looks like one that won't pose too many problems. Ana Ivanovic did win a title to open 2014, but I don't fancy her chances in a potential Fourth Round match, while Sam Stosur has consistently flattered to deceive at her home Grand Slam.
The likes of Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani don't have the power to really compete with someone like Williams and it looks a straight-forward task for the American to reach the Semi Final if I am being brutally honest.
First Quarter Prediction: Serena Williams, who else?
Second Quarter
The second quarter of the draw is actually much more competitive and should be more exciting to see which of the players can come through. The top seeded players are Na Li and Petra Kvitova but you can't rest on the likes of Angelique Kerber, Venus Williams and Ekaterina Makarova, although the latter two players meet in the First Round to thin the crowded section.
Other dangerous players in the section include Lucie Safarova, Elena Vesnina and Sabine Lisicki, but I expect the player out of the ones highlighted will come through to the Semi Final against Serena Williams.
Li, Kvitova and Kerber can all point to decent form to open 2014, as can Venus Williams, and it is a difficult section to really separate with all the tough matches to account for.
However, I think Kvitova is the player that may have the more comfortable early matches that can put her in a good position once she reaches the potential Fourth Round match against Kerber and the Quarter Final against whoever comes through. Na Li is the biggest threat through her seeding and she has the best head to head record against the players in this section as well as reaching the Final at Melbourne Park twice.
The Li-Kvitova potential Quarter Final could be a brilliant one for the neutrals, but there is going to be plenty of tennis to be played before we get to that point.
Second Quarter Prediction: Na Li to beat Petra Kvitova in three sets
Third Quarter
The third quarter of the women's draw is very much like the first in that there isn't a lot of players that you would look to if you wanted to find an alternative to Maria Sharapova winning the section.
Sharapova may be coming back from an injury that kept her out of the back end of 2013, but she looks head and shoulders above the players she is likely to meet with the biggest threat coming from the top half of the quarter in Jelena Jankovic.
However, even the Serb won't inspire confidence with her poor head to head record against Sharapova and Jankovic is also one of the weirdest players to get a read on. There are many times I have seen Jankovic lose matches to players she should beat comfortably so it is possible she won't even reach that potential Quarter Final and I think Sharapova comes through with relative comfort.
Third Quarter Prediction: Maria Sharapova
Fourth Quarter
The final quarter of the draw is where the two time defending Champion, Victoria Azarenka, has been placed and she will be fairly happy with the way the draw has landed for her.
However, I don't think it is as straight-forward as the one that Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova have to negotiate, especially with a tough Fourth Round match against Sloane Stephens perhaps on the cards for Azarenka.
That will be a rematch from the controversial Semi Final from last season if it comes to fruition, but Stephens has had an injury concern from the Hopman Cup and it wouldn't be a huge shock if the young American is knocked out before that potential rematch.
There are also enough doubts about what Agnieszka Radwanska can do at this tournament to think that she would be able to get the better of Azarenka who at least showed some form in Brisbane a couple of weeks ago. Azarenka has dominated the head to head between these two players too and she looks the favourite to come out of the section.
Winner and Outright Picks
I think most people are going to be backing Serena Williams to take home the title at Melbourne Park in this fortnight and you can understand the thinking behind that with the way she dominated in 2013. However, Williams only won 2 of the 4 Slams last year and is always liable to throw in one really poor match which makes her odds on quotes look a little too short.
Instead, I think a small interest in the two-time defending Champion, Victoria Azarenka, is worth having as someone who isn't afraid to take on Williams and seems to have the right mentality to at least make a match against her. Azarenka will also look to expose the nervousness of a player that hasn't won in Australia since 2010 and one who has suffered surprise losses in back to back years at Melbourne Park.
Both players have decent draws, although Azarenka faces the potentially tougher Semi Final if she meets Maria Sharapova, but that is another match the World Number 2 seems to enjoy and I think a unit on Azarenka is warranted.
MY OUTRIGHT PICKS: Novak Djokovic @ 1.83 Ladbrokes (6 Units)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Win Second Quarter @ 5.50 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Tomas Berdych Win Third Quarter @ 2.75 Stan James (1 Unit)
Victoria Azarenka @ 6.50 Coral (1 Unit)
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