MELBOURNE, Australia — Women to watch at the Australian Open, which begins Monday (seedings in parentheses):

SERENA WILLIAMS (1)
Age: 28
Country: United States
2009 Match Record: 50-12
2009 Singles Titles: 3
Career Singles Titles: 35
Major Titles: 11 — U.S. Open (’99, ’02, ’08), Australian Open (’03, ’05, ’07, ’09), French Open (’02), Wimbledon (’02, ’03, ’09),
Last 5 Australian Opens: ’09-Won Championship, ’08-Quarterfinal, ’07-W, ’07-3rd, ’05-W.
Topspin: Has won the Australian title every odd-numbered year since 2003; but this is the even-numbered year and she’ll have to break a trend to win back-to-back titles. ... Has won three of the last five majors; also won the season-ending championship to re-establish herself as the best women’s player in tennis. ... Returned to action in Sydney this week. ... Regained the year-end No. 1 ranking, but said the number was unimportant because she always considers herself the player to beat on tour.

DINARA SAFINA (2)
Age: 23
Country: Russia
2009 Match Record: 55-16
2009 Singles Titles: 3
Career Singles Titles: 12
Major Titles: 0 — Best Finish: F, at Australian Open in ’09, French Open in ’08, ’09
Last 5 Australian Opens: ’09-Lost in Final, ’08-1st, ’07-3rd, ’06-2nd, ’05-2nd.
Topspin: Runner-up at three of the past seven Grand Slam tournaments but still searching for her first major championship. ... Advanced as the No. 3 seed at Melbourne Park last year until running into No. 2 Serena Williams in the final and losing 6-0, 6-3. ... Retired in her first match at season-ending championship at Doha with a back problem in October and withdrew from the Brisbane International to open this season. ... Only able to start hitting backhands in practice in mid-December due to inflammation in her back, and returned to the tour this week in Sydney. ... Has acknowledged faltering because she feels pressure in latter stages of major events.

SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA (3)
Age: 24
Country: Russia
2009 Match Record: 43-16
2009 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 12
Major Titles: 2 — U.S. Open (’04), French Open (’09)
Last Australian Opens: ’09-QF, ’08-3rd, ’07-4th, ’06-4th, ’05-QF.
Topspin: Won second career Grand Slam championship by beating Safina in French Open final. ... Won the Beijing title in September. ... At Melbourne Park, led eventual champion Serena Williams 7-5, 5-3 in the quarterfinals before losing 10 of the next 11 games. ... Has only had one match in warmup tournaments because she was ineligible to compete in the first tournaments of this season after failing to fulfill all requirements of a leading player under the WTA’s “roadmap” last year.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA (5)
Age: 28
Country: Russia
2009 Match Record: 55-18
2009 Singles Titles: 3
Career Singles Titles: 14
Major Titles: 0 — Best: F, at French Open in ’04, U.S. Open in ’04
Last Australian Opens: ’09, SF, ’08-4th, ’07-4th, ’06-1st, ’05-4th.
Topspin: Has made the semifinals or better at each of the Grand Slam events but is still yet to win a major title. ... The 2008 Olympic gold medalist is often tagged with label of best player without a Grand Slam championship. ... Was surprised in the second round by Melanie Oudin at the U.S. Open.

VENUS WILLIAMS (6)
Age: 29
Country: United States
2009 Match Record: 38-16
2009 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 41
Major Titles: 7 — U.S. Open (’00, ’01), Wimbledon (’00, ’01, ’05, ’07, ’08)
Last 5 Australian Opens: ’09-2nd, ’08-QF, ’07-DNP, ’06-1st, ’05-4th.
Topspin: Hasn’t reached the final here since 2003, when she lost to sister Serena in their fourth consecutive Grand Slam final meeting. ... Had match point at 5-4 in the third set before losing in second round here last year to Carla Suarez Navarro. ... Hasn’t won a Grand Slam title outside of Wimbledon since 2001, when she won her second U.S. Open championship in a row. ... Lost to sister Serena in Wimbledon final this year, finishing one win short of a third consecutive title, and at the tour championship final in Doha on Nov. 1. ... Played exhibitions in Thailand and Hong Kong to prepare.

MARIA SHARAPOVA (14)
Age: 22
Country: Russia
2009 Match Record: 31-9
2009 Singles Titles: 1
Career Singles Titles: 20
Major Titles: 3 — U.S. Open (’06), Australian Open (’08), Wimbledon (’04)
Last 5 Australian Opens: ’09-DNP, ’08-W, ’07-F, ’06-SF ’05-SF.
Topspin: Win in Tokyo represented first tournament title since she returned to tour after missing nearly 10 months of singles action because of right shoulder injury. ... Unable to defend her Australian title last year following the shoulder surgery. ... Surface and conditions at Melbourne Park suit her game, making her a perennial contender in Australia. ... Her run to the French Open quarterfinals was her best at a major last year.

KIM CLIJSTERS (15)
Age: 26
Country: Belgium
2009 Match Record: 13-3
2009 Singles Titles: 1
Career Singles Titles: 35
Major Titles: 2 — U.S. Open (’05, ’09)
Last 5 Australian Opens: ’09-DNP, ’08-DNP, ’07-SF, ’06-SF, ’05-DNP
Topspin: Widely known Down Under as “Aussie Kim” for when she was engaged to Lleyton Hewitt, will certainly return a crowd favorite and one of the most unlikely reigning Grand Slam champions. ... Returned to the venue of her only Grand Slam championship three tournaments into a comeback from 2› years on the sidelines and won the U.S. Open in September. ... The first mother to win a Grand Slam singles title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley at Wimbledon in 1980. ... During her absence from the tour, she got married and had a daughter. ... Started the year with a title at Brisbane, saving match points before beating Justine Henin in three tough sets in the final.

JUSTINE HENIN (Unseeded, unranked)
Age: 27
Country: Belgium
2009 Record: 0-0
Career Singles Titles: 41
Major Titles: 7 — French Open (’03, ’05, ’06, ’07), U.S. Open (’03, ’07), Australian Open (’04).
Last 5 Australian Opens: ’09-DNP, ’08-QF, ’07-DNP, ’06-F, ’05-DNP.
Topspin: Only two weeks and two tournaments into a comeback to the tour after 20 months in retirement. ... Won the Australian title in 2004, retired in the final against Amelie Mauresmo in ’06 and lost to Sharapova in the quarterfinals in ’08, only a few months before she quit on May 14, becoming only woman ever to quit while holding No. 1 ranking. ... Has renewed motivation and desire to play, and is targeting a Wimbledon title. ... Brilliant at moving on the court, has been working on her first serve to make it more of a weapon so that can earn more easy points against the bigger players. ... She reached the final at the Brisbane International, her comeback tournament, then withdrew from the Sydney International citing a strain in her upper left leg.