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WOMEN
1. Ash Barty: For the first time, an Aussie woman arrives to Melbourne as the top seed and real contender. (Prize if you know that Chris O’Neill was the last Aussie woman to win the women’s title.) Barty’s game translates well to the surface but some of her success will depend on how she handles the occasion. 8-6 career record in Melbourne— but she reached the quarters last year—and comes in off a loss to Jen Brady. A tough first rounder against veteran Tsurenko might be a disguised blessing.
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