The following are the dark horses for the women's singles title at the Australian Open, which starts on Sunday: JASMINE PAOLINI (ITALY) Ranking: 4 Paolini is no longer an underdog after her standout season last year when the 29-year-old from Tuscany finished runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon while she also won doubles gold at the Paris Olympics.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka will be hot favorite to secure an Australian Open hat-trick, having won the past two years at Melbourne Park.

Capriati again defeated Hingis to defend her title, rallying from a set and 4-0 down – saving four championship points – in a three-set thriller. 8) Chris

Australian Open is heating up, and the women’s singles draw is packed with excitement! From Aryna Sabalenka taking the top seed for the first time to Coco Gauff’s meteoric rise and Iga Swiatek’s quest for an elusive Melbourne title,