10 players who can win their first Grand Slam in Melbourne

The first Grand Slam of the year begins tomorrow and the excitement is palpable in the air. It is tough to predict a champion in both the men’s and women’s categories as the top seeds do not always go on to win the tournament. We saw the crowning of two new Grand Slam champions in the form of Stanislas Wawrinka and Marin Cilic last year. In the women’s section, the likes of Simona Halep and Eugenie Bouchard reached deep stages of Majors in 2014. There is plenty to look forward to in 2015 as young talent look to grab the top honors playing good tennis over two weeks. Here are 10 contenders who could lift their first Major trophy in Melbourne.

#10 Dominika Cibulkova

The 25-year-old Slovakian had a dream run in Melbourne last year as he beat the likes of Maria Sharapova, Simona Halep and Agnieszka Radwanska en route to her first Major final. She lost to Li N in straight sets in the final.

Known for her hard-hitting style and quick movements, Cibulkova poses threat to any player, and with the experience of Grand Slam final behind her, she can handle the big moments better to come out on top in important matches.

#9 Agnieszka Radwanska

She is incredible to watch, she has been a consistent performer, she loves to hit hard and be aggressive, but she never manages to grab her first Major title. Calm and serene from the outside, the internal regressions and doubts may possibly be the covert spoilsport of her otherwise impeccable game.

Of course, Radwanska knows about herself than anyone else, and for that reason she has made considerable modifications in her support staff and style. To say considerable modification might be an understatement considering the fact that Martina Navratilova will be her new coach. To possess the guiding light of 18-time Grand Slam champion, Radwanska hopefully gets the remedial course to overcome pressure at the instense moments of the game to win on big stages.

#8 Caroline Wozniacki

Caroline Wozniaki ended last season as one of her best till date. Wozniacki, after going through rough patches in the first half of the season, gave her fans some of the best performances to savor. She could have done a lot better if only she could have avoided appointments with her friend Serena Williams.

She reached final at the flushing meadows where she was handed a straight sets loss by Serena. It looked certain for a while at the WTA finale that Wozniacki will take her revenge at the semifinal clash where Wozniaki served for the match, but then again she faltered in crunch moments to give Serena a chance to win the WTA Finals. But sometimes even in defeat, there lies the hope of salvation and this Australian Open may prove out to be her source of salvation.

#7 Simona Halep

If there is one player besides Serena Williams who is seen as the favourite to win the Australian Open, then it has to be Simona Halep. The Romanian has impressed the tennis world after her fighting performances last year. Known for her tactical abilities, Halep tries to outplay her oponents more through strategy than groundstrokes.

Her victory over Serna Williams in WTA finale showed the brilliance of Halep, and to bet on her would be quite a rational thing to do.

#6 Eugenie Bouchard

Eugenie Bouchard had spectacular runs at the Grand Slams last year. She reached semifinals of the Australian Open and the French Open, and was runner up on the green turfs of Wimbledon. On account of her Grand Slam success, she earned herself the spot to play at the season-ending finale at Singapore.

However, besides her remarkable runs at Majors, Bouchard failed at WTA tournaments, losing out in first rounds of multiple masters. Yet, at the age of 20, Bouchard goes into the Australian Open as one of the favorites. She has tasted success; she will now only look forward to cross the finish line.

#5 David Ferrer

You cannot question the fighting attitude of this Spaniard or his hunger for tennis. At the age of 32, David Ferrer has been a constant and consistent competitor at both Masters and Majors. Although, with the presense of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, Ferrer has failed to walk the extra mile to win his first Grand Slam. The Australian Open may not be the perfect setting for Ferrer to open his Major account after clinching the title in Doha two weeks ago.

#4 Tomas Berdych

The hopes do not just rest on the new kids, but also upon the perennial top 10 competitors to take home their first Grand Slam. Tomas Berdych, alongside David Ferrer, are the quintessential dark horses that embrace the residual spotlight after the Big 4. Berdych has been on the scene since he defeated Roger Federer at Wimbledon en route to his first Grand Slam final. But since then, he failed to find a way to close out matches against top players.

Although, his chances to win a Major are low, a favourable draw coupled with upsets can help the Czech achiece that coveted title.

#3 Milos Raonic

Milos Raonic made significant changes in his playing style and performance last year. The Canadian, who is known for his big serves and imperious groundstokes, has upped the ante after including serve-and-volleys, deft touches and extra top spin in his armor.

Not just that, the 6’ 6’’ Raonic has also worked on his movement which helps his body to maintain balance. With the added impetus in his game, Raonic can pose a big threat to top guys at the Majors a la Cilic way. However, with just one victory against the top 3 guys, it will be interesting to see how the renewed Raonic fares against the elites on big stages.

#2 Grigor Dimitrov

As far as the vast amount of talent of the Bulgarian is concerned, Grigor Dimitrov is all but under achiever. Dimitrov failed to make a mark at the Majors with a semifinal appearance at Wimbledon being his best. But to write off Dimitrov will be fatal - atleast after considering his few inspired plays last season.

Dimitrov was amongst few to win a title at all 3 surfaces last year – which highlighted Dimitrov’s versatile, all-round playing style. He also broke into top 10 rankings and made a semifinal run at Wimbledon, where he lost to Djokovic in tight 4 sets. Although he failed to win any Masters trophy, he showed his best performaces at the Majors, rendering support to claims that he can beat the best to win his maiden Grand Slam.

#1 Kei Nishikori

Kei easily stands first in the potential first-time Grand Slam champion list. The Japanese prodigy had an unforgettable run in 2014. He defeated Federer at Indian Wells, topped Djokovic at the semifinal of US Open to get into his first ever Grand Slam final, was 2 games away from victory against Nadal on clay before he got injured, and reached his career best ranking of 5.

If that is not enough, the coaching support of Micahel Chang may just prove to be enough for Nishikori to walk that extra mile to beat the big boys on big occasions to become a Major champion.