One of the most anticipated first-round women’s matches at the Australian Open features a two-time champion against a woman who has faced her there in each of the last two seasons. Meanwhile, an all-Italian match should produce plenty of fire and flair.

Sloane Stephens versus Victoria Azarenka

First rounds of majors rarely lend themselves to “must-see tennis,” but this year’s Australian Open has a chance to buck that trend.  Former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka comes in unseeded, and there was much speculation of where she might land in the draw.  Ultimately, fate did not pit her against one of the seeds, but her first match is no less intriguing.  She will face fellow dangerous floater Sloane Stephens in what many are saying is the best duel of the opening round of play.

Times have been tough for both women in recent months.  Stephens lost her way over the course of 2014.  The American seemed to falter under the weight of expectations that had been thrust upon her shoulders, and early losses came with greater and greater frequency.  Niggling injuries, particularly the one to her left wrist, have not helped matters, and suddenly, Stephens, who was knocking on the door of the top 10 in 2013, finds herself ranked outside the top 30.

As frustrating as the last season has been for Stephens, however, things have been more so for Azarenka.  After a solid start to 2014, matters quickly went downhill for the Belarusian.  Foot and leg issues derailed any hopes she might had for success, as Azarenka found herself watching most of last year primarily from the sidelines.  Sadly for her, that inactivity also translated to a drop in ranking, which means she now has to wage a major uphill battle if she hopes to grab her third crown in Melbourne.

If she is smart, Azarenka will focus on climbing the hill one step at a time, starting with the match against Stephens.  From a purely physical standpoint – and assuming they are both relatively healthy again – there is not a lot to separate the two.  They are solid off both wings, and each prefers to get the job done from the back of the court.  Stephens is decisively the better mover, but Azarenka is more adept at moving the ball around the court.  Stephens will also need to guard against falling into retrieval mode against the more aggressive Azarenka.

The real crux of this match, though, comes down to what is between the ears.  As previously noted, both women have endured a rough go of it as of late.  Both are in need of a good showing, and they cannot let that pressure get to them in the big moments.  All of that considered, the mental edge has to go to Azarenka, even though, unlike Stephens, she is winless on the season.  The former No. 1 has defeated Stephens in the two previous times that they have met, both coming in the last two years at the Australian Open.  Additionally, as a two-time Australian Open champion, Melbourne is the site where Azarenka has historically played some of her best tennis.  In short, her rusty form may provide Stephens with her best opportunity to notch a win over the former No. 1, but the American upstart is still the one who is facing the greater challenge to advance to the second round.

Flavia Pennetta versus Camila Giorgi

Players often talk about the nerves that come with playing the opening round of a major.  They also talk about that added layer of spice in a match when it is against a compatriot.  Flavia Pennetta and Camila Giorgi will face both of those challenges when they take on each other for a spot in the second round in Melbourne.

For Pennetta, the last 18 months have been like a fairytale.  Following a major wrist injury, the veteran Italian was all but ready to hang up her racquet.  A trip to the semifinals of the 2013 US Open convinced her that she still had some game left, though, and she has been quite solid ever since.  She picked up her first Premier title at Indian Wells last season and posted quarterfinal finishes at the Australian Open and US Open.  As a result, she finds herself ranked No. 12 and is no doubt keen to rise back into the top 10.

Pennetta’s opponent and countrywoman, Giorgi, has not enjoyed quite the same level of success, but she has found herself reaching new heights.  She achieved a career-high ranking of No. 31 last season and has fallen back just four places heading into the Australian Open.  One of her more impressive achievements was nabbing a win over Maria Sharapova at Indian Wells, and she broke new ground at the majors by reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon and the US Open.  She would love to add a second-week showing in Melbourne to her résumé.

Giorgi is in a good position to take a step towards booking a berth in the second week despite being the lower-ranked of the pair.  Hard courts are her favorite surface, and although somewhat petite in stature, she gets a deceptive amount of pop on her strokes.  Giorgi also does an excellent job of hugging the baseline, which should provide her with opportunities to take time away from Pennetta.  As a former No. 1 in doubles, however, Pennetta is also in a position to take time away from Giorgi.  She has excellent hands up at net, but it is imperative that she look to move forward and not get drawn into long baseline rallies. 

Pennetta would do well to keep the points short rather than allowing the pressure to build over the course of a long rally, because between the two, she is mentally the less trustworthy.  Giorgi may be the lower-ranked player, but she at least has some wins under her belt this season.  By contrast, Pennetta lost all three of her matches at the Hopman Cup.  Perhaps surprisingly, Pennetta also has a losing record against her compatriot.  They split their two meetings in 2014, but Giorgi won their first, which incidentally, was their only match at a Grand Slam, at Wimbledon in 2012.  All three of their matches have ended in straight sets, however, which makes the first set key for either woman hoping to escape with a victory.

There will be plenty at stake in this all-Italian affair, but first and foremost will be a berth in the second round.  Rankings say Pennetta gets the victory, but Giorgi will have something to say about that.