Luckless local wildcard Ashleigh Barty looms as the first of three minor speed bumps merely slowing Serena Williams' progress to the second week of the Australian Open.
Barring a disastrous slip-up against the great young hope of Australian tennis, Williams should have a leisurely stroll through to the fourth round after being handed a bunch of no-name opponents in her section of the draw.
Second up for Williams in her quest for a sixth Open crown will be Serbian Vesna Dolonc or Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena, with a qualifier and unheralded Europeans Pauline Parmentier and Karolina Pliskova duelling for a chance to play the world No.1 in round three.
Serbian 14th seed Ana Ivanovic or Australian No.1 Samantha Stosur, seeded 17th, are projected to face Williams in the last 16 at Melbourne Park.
Williams, who would equal Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert's 18 grand slam singles titles with victory at the season-opening major, is seeded to meet Italian seventh seed Sara Errani in the quarters before a potential semi-final against fourth-seeded Li Na.
Li, who lost to Victoria Azarenka in last year's final and to Kim Clijsters in the 2011 decider, is drawn to face Czech sixth seed Petra Kvitova in the last eight.
Two-time defending champion and world No.2 Azarenka will play Sweden's Johanna Larsson in the opening round and has a potential quarter-final with Polish fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska.
"Last season was pretty successful. I did things I haven't done before. I can't wait to be back here at the Australian Open to start again," Azarenka said at the draw.
Russian third seed Maria Sharapova, a winner in Melbourne in 2008 and runner-up to Azarenka in 2012, has a tough opening round against American Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
Mattek-Sands upset top seed Radwanska at this week's Sydney International, but later withdrew from the tournament with back trouble.
Sharapova is seeded to face Serbian eighth seed Jelena Jankovic in the quarter-finals.
Share
