By IANS
Melbourne : Sania Mirza will start her Australian Open campaign against unseeded Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan.
If Sania, seeded 31st at the first Grand Slam of the season starting Monday, goes past the opening round, she will be up against the winner of the match between Sophie Ferguson of Australia and an unknown qualifier.
However after a relatively easy first two rounds, the 21-year-old Sania will have to contend with the likes of former world No.1 Venus Williams, second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, sixth seed Anna Chakvetadze, both from Russia, fourth seed Serbian Ana Ivanovic and Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia in the latter stages of the tournament as they are all in the second half of the women’s draw with Sania.
World No.1 Justine Henin, defending champion Serena Williams, third seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, fifth seed Russian Maria Sharapova, Amelie Mauresmo, Nicole Vaidisova and rejuvenated Lindsay Davenport are all packed into the stronger top half of the draw.
The potential women’s match of the first week would be the second round match between Sharapova and unseeded Davenport, should both win their first round matches.
Henin is pitted to meet Serena in the semi-finals if the later upstages Jankovic, who enters the tournament under an injury cloud.
Interestingly, with the Williams’ sisters – Serena and Venus – on either side of the draw, the prospect of an all-Williams final does exist.