The first Grand Slam of the tennis season kicks into action at Melbourne next week.. The men's event will surely once again be in the hands of Roger Federer, but that Ladies event has a more open feel to it. Last years winner Serena Williams provided us with one of the great comeback stories of 2007 and  she is certainly capable of repeating her success, but just like that box of chocolates.....you never know what you are going to get from Serena and worryingly she finished the latter part of last year with a plethora of injuries and perhaps even more distressing she was beaten by tournament favourite Justin Henin in the next three Grand Slams. The world number one Henin landed two Slams in 2007 and whilst see bypassed last years event due to personal reasons she has appeared in the final on her last two trips to Melbourne (2004 and 2006)  and she is worthy of her favourite tag.

There will be plenty of stiff competition to the diminutive Belgian though, including Serena's elder sibling Venus, who lifted her sixth Slam at Wimbledon last term and with the new Plexicushion surface expected to suit her hard-hitting game she has a tremendous chance of winning her first Aussie Open. The elder Williams' sister is in good shape as well, she beat second favourite Maria Sharapova in Hong Kong last week.
 
The Russian herself meanwhile, heads a strong challenge from Eastern Europe, she herself has great chance, as she can beat any woman on one of her good days and pushed the great Henin in last year's season WTA Championships season finale, in what was arguably the best women's match of 2007. The number 2 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova commands respect but has a poor record against Henin, also in with a chance are the Serbian pair of Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, but of all the entrants from the former Communist Bloc, I think Nicole Vaidisova could be a big threat. She reached the semi's last year and has been in good form in the warm-up events and the big slugging Czech could give you a run for your money at a big price. After a long deliberation though, I have decided to take on Justine Henin and sided with Venus Williams. The lanky American has all the attributes for the new surface with her naturally athleticism, colossal serve and gritty determination, she is a born winner  and with six Grand Slams under her belt she  has an excellent chance of making it seven.
 
Selections: Venus Williams (Generally available at 10/1)
                    Nicole Vaidisova (Best Price 20/1)

Wayne Halliday is a professional sports writer who blogs on tennis betting at Betfair.

The third round of Australian Open continues in the early hours of Saturday morning and there are a couple of games which should be tight affairs and set betting could work out to be profitable for punters. Firstly, in the men's event a tasty match between local hero Lleyton Hewitt and arguably the finest sportsman to come out of Cyprus, Marcos Baghdatis. Both of these players have reached the final of this ranking tournament and both are also in good form . Hewitt has been methodical in his two victories only dropping one set so far, whilst Baghdatis - after a comfortable win in his opening match - was involved in arguably the best match of the tournament thus far beating former Champion Marat Safin in five brutal sets. The pair have strangely only met once before in a ranking event and that came at last year's Wimbledon Championships when the Cypriot came out on top in four sets. Neither of these players have a massive serve so there could be plenty of long rallies in what I expect to be a marathon contest and it could be another tight affair with Baghdatis coming out on top in five sets.
 
In the ladies event, even at this stage there are not to many matches where you could predict a shock, there is one game though, which I think could be a close affair and that is between Sania Mirza of India against Venus Williams. Willams has looked a fraction below her best so far, particularly in her second round game against Camillle Pin of France, she served plenty of double faults and against Mirza who is the best paid sportswoman in her country and should get plenty of support from a big Indian community in Melbourne. I can see her taking a set from the six-times Grand Slam winner.
 
Selections Baghdatis 3-2 Hewitt:    Venus Williams 2-1 Mirza

Wayne Halliday is a professional sports writer who blogs on tennis betting at Betfair.