US Open champion Samantha Stosur faces a massive challenge to finally start a new year with a bang after copping a treacherous draw at the Brisbane International.
Former world number ones Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters and Ana Ivanovic are all in the Queenslander's half of the draw for her home tournament which begins on Sunday.
Top seed Stosur, who has high hopes of enjoying a successful Australian summer for the first time, begins her Australian Open build-up with a relatively comfortable first-round match against Belarussian Anastasiya Yakimova on Monday.
But victory would likely pit her against Czech world number 25 Lucie Safarova, who beat her in the corresponding match in Brisbane in 2009, in the second round.
A first quarter-final appearance at the tournament would be rewarded with a meeting against Belgian Clijsters or Serb starlet Ivanovic, who are drawn for a blockbuster second-round clash at Pat Rafter Arena.
Williams, who has not played a match since falling to Stosur in the US Open final on September 11, flew into Brisbane on Saturday morning before also being drawn on the top half for a likely semi-final match against another grand slam champion.
Despite the star-congested top half of the draw in the women's event, upgraded to a WTA premier tournament, Brisbane International director Cameron Pearson could not be happier with the potential early heavyweight match-ups.
"It certainly is a strong top half but running a premier event all matches are tough and the girls know that so they won't be looking any further than the first round," Pearson said.
"Sam has a tough first-round match and some familiar foes are waiting if she make it through."
While the bottom half is far less intimidating, second-seeded German Andrea Petkovic has a tough opener against Israeli Shahar Peer, who was the tournament's second seed just 12 months ago when she was the world number 11.
Ivanovic, who has been preparing in Queensland this month after spending Christmas with golfing boyfriend Adam Scott, preferred to look at the silver lining of her draw.
Now ranked 22nd in the world to be a dangerous unseeded floater, the 2008 French Open champion will also play the Sydney International before she heads to Melbourne Park.
"It doesn't (get harder than that) but it's a good preparation (for the Australian Open)," Ivanovic said.
"It's a good way to check where you're at and if you want to get deep into a tournament you have to face them at some stage, so why not sooner!"
Another Serbian former world number one, Jelena Jankovic, will play Spaniard Carla Suarrez-Navarro in the first round and is set to meet Italian third seed Francesca Schiavone in the quarter-finals.
In the men's draw, Australia's top-ranked player Bernard Tomic has been seeded for the first time at eight and will play French world number 52 Julien Benneteau as the Gold Coaster looks for his maiden win in his fourth appearance in Brisbane.
Fellow Australian Matt Ebden has copped a tough draw against former tournament champion and sixth seed Radek Stepanek while top-seeded Scot Andy Murray faces Kazakstan's Mikhail Kukushkin on Tuesday night.
AAP
Tags: sport, tennis, brisbane-4000, qld, australia First posted December 31, 2011 14:11:51
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