A first-time top-eight seeding for Ashleigh Barty on home turf has spared the 21-year-old an early assignment against the Brisbane International’s big guns.
But the Aussie will be on guard after drawing Lesia Tsurenko in the first round. The Ukrainian is comfortable in Brisbane’s conditions, having reached the semi-finals here as a lucky loser in 2013.
“She’s obviously just got a very solid game,” Barty said. “She’s been a top-50 player for a few years now, so I think she bases her game around opponent’s errors, so it’s important to be really solid and then try to exploit any weaknesses in her game.”
Should Barty find a way past the 28-year-old she could go on to meet defending champion, No.2 seed Karolina Pliskova in the quarter-finals, before a potential semi-final showdown with either No.3 seed Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, or fifth-seeded Brit Johanna Konta.
Konta faces arguably the toughest first-round clash when she meets US Open finalist Madison Keys first up. Svitolina, too, will need to be on from the get-go when she takes on former top-tenner Carla Suarez Navarro in the opening round.
Barty, though, was not looking beyond her first match as she looked to build on a break-through 2017.
“It’s exciting going into 2018 with a new platform set, and a very different experience for me ranking-wise and expectation-wise for tournaments as well,” Barty said.
“The elusive top 10 is just there. It feels like it’s very close, but in the same breath it feels like it’s very far away.
“For me it’s important to have the right processes on and off the court and go about my business on the court and the ranking will take care of itself.”
Of the remaining Aussies, former world No.4 Sam Stosur faces a tricky opener when she meets No.7 seed Anastasija Sevastova, of Latvia, in the opening round, while wild cards Ajla Tomljanovic and Desantee Aiava are due to square off first up in what will be the pair’s first showdown.
“My serve and physicality on the court, and having that presence out there,” Aiava said of what she had to do to beat her compatriot. “Not to intimidate her, but knowing that I belong out there and I will do my best.”
Aiava, who won through three rounds of qualifying before registering her first main draw win on debut at Brisbane International 2017 had two goals already for 2018.
“Probably to try to get inside the top 100 and to get my first Grand Slam win at the Aus Open,” she said.
Defending champion Pliskova found some of her finest tennis to clinch the Brisbane title to kickstart her strongest season to date in 2017.
After a brief stint at No.1 during the year, the Czech is determined to consolidate her position as a contender for the majors in 2018.
She begins her Brisbane title defence against either gifted American youngster CiCi Bellis or a qualifier.
Top seed Garbine Muguruza is on a semi-final collision course with a Frenchwoman – either No.4 seed Caroline Garcia or No.6 seed Kristina Mladenovic – and could meet No.7 seed Sevastova in the quarter-finals.