Weeks 3-4 - Australian Open, Women's Main Draw - Melbourne, Australia - Outdoor, Hard

flamingowings · All-time great

Weeks 3-4 - Australian Open, Women's Main Draw - Melbourne, Australia - Outdoor, Hard

PaulM · Tennis legend

Not ideal draws. Not the worst. We'll see what happens.

Julia Carrot · All-time great

I think Heathers is as good as she could hope for.

wales1994 · County player

Hmmmm who knows what Sloane will turn up! But Sloane seems to up her level and performs well at the grand slams, really praying for a R3 showing for Emma here.

Barefoot · Lower Club Player

Sherif is a clay player really. Hev has a good draw Id say. Sloane will be motivated

Pancho P · Lower Club Player

After 14 grand slam matches played by Emma will Stephens be the first to hold a match point against her ?. Probably.

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

Emma will be Sloane's fourth British opponent in a Grand Slam.Bally beat her in the 2011 French Open ,Jo beat her in the 2019 French and 2019 Wimbledon. Sloane beat Laura in the 2013 Australian Open

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

I wondered how the courts are playing speed wise this year - past couple of years they have been quite quick , I think, and US Open was ditto. Might help Emma to play on quicker courts, she seemed to benefit in NYC, and Heather ditto versus Sherif.

But I have seen no reports to suggest how the courts have played in qualies?

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

Sloane hasn't played since the BK King Cup matches at the beginning of November. She hasn't played any WTA tournaments since Indian Wells at the beginning of October. Emma beat Sherif in final qualifying at the 2021 US Open.

wolf · Tennis legend

L128: (7) Iga Swiatek (POL) WR 8 vs (Q) Harriet Dart WR 125

Jajon · Club Coach

Brutal

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

Not a British player but Alize Cornet is playing in her 60th consecutive Grand Slam singles tournament and needs to play in the remaining 3 Grand Slams of 2022 to beat the record 62 of Ai Sugiyama. Her 60 appearances started with the 2007 AO. Also playing the AO main draw of 2007 and 2022 are Stosur, Kanepi, Zvonareva, Brengle , Flipkens and Azarenka.

flamingowings · All-time great

As brutal as when she drew Sharapova.

HarryGem · Club Coach

Hard to see anything but a defeat for Harriet. Hope she takes a toilet break after losing the first set for about 6 minutes and continually turns her back and delays Swiatek from serving. Be good to see someone give her a taste of her own tactics. Fine player but I don't admire some of her antics I'm afraid.

I think Emma may be in for another chastening defeat I'm afraid. Sloane may not have played for a while but I'm sure she will be up for this and when she's on form she's very good and if she's up for it there must be a chance she will completely overpower Emma. Have to just hope that Sloane isn't really that bothered. Shame for Emma she didn't get a more straightforward draw especially with how some of her last results have gone.

Heather has a very decent draw indeed and really should win quite easily but then this is Heather who hasn't won many main draw matches for a while.

Looking forward to this. There are some very decent looking 1st round ties. I think a few seeds might go. Also interested to see how many double faults Sabalenka will serve. Very sad to see a player so dedicated to the tour suffering the gips on serve in such a bad way.

Lambda · Challenger level

HarryGem wrote:

Hard to see anything but a defeat for Harriet. Hope she takes a toilet break after losing the first set for about 6 minutes and continually turns her back and delays Swiatek from serving. Be good to see someone give her a taste of her own tactics. Fine player but I don't admire some of her antics I'm afraid.

I think Emma may be in for another chastening defeat I'm afraid. Sloane may not have played for a while but I'm sure she will be up for this and when she's on form she's very good and if she's up for it there must be a chance she will completely overpower Emma. Have to just hope that Sloane isn't really that bothered. Shame for Emma she didn't get a more straightforward draw especially with how some of her last results have gone.

Heather has a very decent draw indeed and really should win quite easily but then this is Heather who hasn't won many main draw matches for a while.

Looking forward to this. There are some very decent looking 1st round ties. I think a few seeds might go. Also interested to see how many double faults Sabalenka will serve. Very sad to see a player so dedicated to the tour suffering the gips on serve in such a bad way.

I hope not as she'll be penalised. The slams have introduced a rule to limit toilet breaks. Women are allowed one of 3 minutes or 5 minutes if changing clothes.