Dear readers, professional tennis instructor Florian Meier from OnlineTennisInstruction.com is back with another guest post, this time presenting his take on the Australian Open women's draw. Florian's previous contributions to Women's Tennis Blog included in-depth analysis of Sabine Lisicki's game and US Open predictions. Enjoy Florian's preview!

Hey everyone. The Australian Open is about to start and this year the field seems to be wide open without clear favorites. Also many of the top players are struggling with injuries and Andrea Petkovic already had to withdraw from the event because of a back injury. In this article I want to give you my view on who has the best chances to win the tournament.

I decided to pick out four players who I believe have the biggest chance to win this year’s Australian Open title.

1. PETRA KVITOVA

Petra Kvitova is currently in a close battle with Caroline Wozniacki for the world number 1 ranking. She had her breakthrough winning Wimbledon last year and I think she has very good chances to become the most successful player in 2012.

Her game is big, she played well in the warm up matches to the tournament, and she seems to have the confidence and belief now.

CHECK OUT HOW WELL KVITOVA IS PLAYING IN THIS VIDEO

2. KIM CLIJSTERS

Clijsters is the defending champion and in my opinion always a threat at any Grand Slam. She had a tough second half of the season in 2011, where she did not play much at all because of several injuries.

Having had such a long preparation could be an advantage for her because she is probably in great shape right now. At the warm-up tournament in Brisbane she seemed to be in strong form but had to pull out because of a hip injury. The latest reports are saying that she is practicing at 100% though and therefore I think she is one of the favourites to win the title.

3. SERENA WILLIAMS

As usual it is difficult to assess what kind of form Serena Williams is in for the Australian Open. She has not played much before the tournament but she obviously likes the tournament, having won it five times in the past.

In a recent interview I heard Brad Gilbert, famous coach and expert, talk about how hard Serena was preparing and how well she looked out on the practice courts. An ankle injury forced her to pull out of Brisbane but she has also been seen practicing hard on site in Melbourne. She has not played many tournament matches in a while so it will be crucial for her to get through the first couple of rounds.

If she gets through the first couple of rounds and stays healthy she will definitely be one of the top favourites for the title. Read more »

Andrea Petkovic has a lower back stress fracture, which forced her to have an injury timeout during her 7-5 6-4 loss to Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round of the Apia International Sydney, and will not play the upcoming Australian Open.

The tenth-ranked Petkovic would have been seeded No.10 at the Grand Slam. Last year the top German played the quarterfinals of three Grand Slams, including the Australian Open.

Petkovic’s withdrawal came just after Venus Williams confirmed she would have to skip the tournament due to her Sjogren's syndrome. (photo: sr_cranks)

On the steps of Victoria Parliament House in Melbourne 370 Australian Open ball kids posed in blue shirts with tennis balls in their hands. But there's one WTA player hiding in the crowd. Can you spot her? Who do you think it is? Click on "Read more" to see who the intruder is. Read more »

In a short statement on her website, Venus Williams announced an unfortunate piece of news that her comeback will be postponed until after the Australian Open.

The tennis star, suffering from an autoimmune disorder called Sjogren's syndrome, has been training and receiving treatment for several months, and although she has experienced noticeable progress towards top form, she will have to skip the first Grand Slam of the season. Williams’ return is expected in February.

Williams hasn't played since the US Open and has fallen to No.100 in the rankings. She was ranked 36th during the US Open. (photo: sr_cranks)

Images of Serena William's Rally Statement dress for the 2012 Australian Open have surfaced and from what we can see Nike will continue to take the path they've been following in the recent years for Serena – sporty dresses, pretty and simple designs in one predominant color.

I like how Serena looks in well-fitting dresses with few accessories in design (no ruffles, excess material and stuff) and in colors that are not bland. Striking green, blue, red, pink, etc. with touches of some other vibrant color for contrast, or even only black or white, perfectly suit Serena's skin tone and character.

Soon I will post a retrospection of all Serena's 2011 dresses, so stay tuned for more Nike fashion! In the meantime, check out outfits Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki are expected to wear at the first Grand Slam of the 2012 season. (source: DeShawn Besabella)