Eight months ago Serena Williams would have been keeping a close eye on the progress of her countrywoman and first-round Brisbane International opponent Varvara Lepchenko.
The former Uzbekistani had become a US citizen and was vying for an Olympic singles berth at the expense of Serena’s big sister, Venus, who was battling to get her ranking back above the cut-off after an injury lay-off.
As it turned out, both ended up making the main draw for London 2012.
Today though, Williams Jnr will be out to stamp her authority in the battle of the top two ranked Americans on Pat Rafter Arena.
The pair will be the third feature match on Day 1, with Australian wildcard Jarmila Gajdosova opening proceedings against Italian Roberta Vinci.
For Gajdosova, 2012 has been a harrowing year, with a combination of personal setbacks and injuries dragging her ranking down from inside the top 40 to 183.
Gajdosova will carry a 3-1 head-to-head into the match, including wins on home hardcourts in Hobart and on the Gold Coast.
Czech sixth seed Petra Kvitova will have to fight a persistent asthma concern amid Queensland’s humidity as well as a diminutive Spanish opponent, Carla Suarez Navarro, in the second match on Pat Rafter Arena.
While the 2011 Brisbane and Wimbledon champion failed to reach the same heights in 2012, she is determined to continue her winning streak here after missing last year’s event. She will have her work cut out against the player with arguably the best single-handed backhand in the women’s game right now.
Suarez Navarro won the pair’s most recent outing on hardcourt in Beijing, however Kvitova will carry the confidence of having won the three previous encounters, including at last year’s Australian Open.
The final match will feature three Australians on court as wildcard pairing Lleyton Hewitt and Chris Guccione look to upset their compatriot Paul Hanley and American Eric Butorac, the tournament’s top seeds in the men’s doubles. While Hewitt and Guccione have combined successfully before –including a Davis Cup doubles victory over Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka – this will be their Brisbane debut as a team.