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By Chris Oddo | Sunday January 15, 2016

1. Djokovic bidding for threepeat: Novak Djokovic will go for his record seventh title in Melbourne, and his sixth in seven years. The Serb is currently tied with Roy Emerson on the all-time title list and he has never lost a final.

2. Serena Williams going for No.23: Williams will bid to pass Steffi Graf on the all-time major titles list—something she wasn’t able to do in New York last summer. She’ll also bid for her seventh title at the Australian Open. A funny note: Williams has won in Melbourne in five of the last seven odd years (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2015).

3. Sixth time a charm for Murray? Murray is looking to become the first man in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title after losing 5 finals at any one Grand Slam. He finished as runner-up to Roger Federer in Australia in 2010, and then fell to Djokovic in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016. Djokovic, Federer, Goran Ivanisevic and Ivan Lendl are the only players in the Open Era to lose 3 Grand Slam finals at one major before winning the title.

4. Venus marches on: Venus Williams is the all-time leader in Grand Slams played. The 36-year-old American will compete in her 73rd major at Melbourne. She passed Amy Frazier’s all-time record at the U.S. Open last year. Serena Williams is second among active players in Grand Slam appearances. She’ll make her 66th appearance this week.

5. Djokovic chasing Connors: By reaching the semifinals Novak Djokovic would pass Jimmy Connors to move into second place on the all-time Grand Slam wins list with 234. Federer currently leads all players with 307 Grand Slam wins.

6. Jankovic streaking: Jelena Jankovic will play in her 53rd consecutive major, which places her nine off the all-time record of 62. That record is held by Japan’s Ai Sugiyama. Federer holds the record on the men’s side—65.

7. Nadal double? Not many are picking him, but if Nadal wins the Australian Open he’d become just the third player in history—and first in Open Era—to win all four Grand Slam titles twice.

8. Sweet sixteen for Schiavone: Italy’s Francesca Schiavone is making her 16th and final appearance in Melbourne. The Italian played the longest women’s singles match in Grand Slam history in 2011, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova in a 4:44 epic.

9. Lopez going strong: 35-year-old Feliciano Lopez will play his 60th consecutive major, which is the second-longest streak of all-time. If he can through to Wimbledon next year he’ll break Federer’s record of 65.

10. 309 and counting: Nobody has more Grand Slam match wins than Serena Williams. The American has 309, compared to Roger Federer’s 307.


 

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