As the season’s first major reaches the halfway mark, here are some notes from the first week at Melbourne.

The Americans

If the first half of the fortnight in Melbourne is any indication, the state of American tennis appears to be on the rise. Four of the 16 remaining players are from the United States. They are a mixture of familiar faces and up-and-comers who are looking for their breakthrough season.

It is no surprise when you glance at the draw and see Venus and Serena Williams remaining as play heads into the second week. If anything, this is taken for granted by virtue of their history in the sport. After all, the sisters have combined to stockpile 25 major championships. However, the resurgence of Venus at the age of 34, is quite phenomenal. Given that many assumed she would retire from the sport when diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome in 2011, it is one of the great comebacks in all of sports.

Serena Williams is always under the spotlight with her 18 Grand Slam titles and is generally the top seed. She takes everyone’s best shot. And while she has had moments when she appeared lethargic, she has summoned enough intensity to advance with relative ease.

For a few years, Madison Keys has been labeled as a player who has all the tools to be a consistent champion. Gifted with one of the biggest serves in the game and powerful groundstrokes, she exhibited her abilities by matching power with power against one of the biggest hitters on the tour, Petra Kvitova. On Saturday night, Keys displayed her power game while defeating the tournament favorite of many in straight sets. Coached by multiple major champion Lindsay Davenport, Keys has clearly made a connection with a former player whose game was much like hers.

For Madison Brengle, competing in the second week must be surreal given the news she received in the fall. Brengle was diagnosed with skin cancer and just received clearance to compete in early January. She has taken full advantage of her time in Melbourne, displaying sound groundstrokes, and has shown poise dealing with adversity as she has maneuvered through the draw.

All four Americans are in the top half of the draw, so at best, just one could conceivably advance to the final. But their results early in 2015 could be a harbinger for things to come.

Home Cooking?

Dominka Cibulkova is Slovakian, but one might believe she is from Australia given her recent success in Melbourne. In 2014, she made a run to the final where she fell to Li Na. It is her best career performance at any Grand Slam.

Once again, she finds herself in the second week and playing some of her best tennis since last season’s Australian Open. To put it in perspective, Cibulkova could only survive as far as the round of 32 in the remainder of 2014’s majors. And many will remember her firs- round defeat at last season’s U. S. Open to Catherine Bellis, a junior who earned a spot in the Flushing Meadows field.

Nonetheless, Cibulkova is back in a comfortable setting and playing solid tennis once again.

Speaking of Home Cooking

Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka entered the Australian Open as an unseeded player. But she has looked anything but with wins against Sloane Stephens, Caroline Wozniacki, and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. After plummeting down the rankings due to injuries that forced her to the sidelines, the Belarusian is hoping to duplicate her titles from 2012 and 2013. Given her success Down Under, she is another player who feels right at home in Australia.

Flying Under the Radar

Tenth seed Ekaterina Makarova and 21st seed Shuai Peng have received very little attention en route to the round of 16, but history has proven that these two players are both serious contenders. Peng advanced to the semifinals in the last major of 2014 at Flushing Meadows, while Makarova also advanced to the semifinals there and made the quarterfinals of Wimbledon last season. The Russian has twice advanced to the quarterfinals in Melbourne and typically plays her best tennis there.

Peng has a game that showcases consistency and court savvy, and she generally plays very cleanly. She benefits from a long, successful doubles career and mixes crisp volleys into her repertoire, further keeping opponents off balance. She has shown success on hard court surfaces and could test Maria Sharapova in the next round.

Living up to Expectations

A year ago in Melbourne, Eugenie Bouchard began her breakout season with a run to the semifinals. She followed that result by advancing to the semifinals at Roland Garros and the final at Wimbledon. Her appeal grew, as did her ranking, finishing the season in the top 10. However, as a young player, it is often difficult to duplicate a season such as her 2014 campaign. This has led many to wonder if she will face the dreaded “sophomore slump” this year.

However, Bouchard has yet to drop a set in the fortnight and has admirably dealt with any adversity in her path. Known as a fighter, this quality should benefit her in Grand Slam events. With the numerous upsets in the women’s draw, she is in the driver’s seat to reach the quarterfinals, where a date with Maria Sharapova may be looming.

Early Carnage

It has been difficult for many seeds in the early rounds of the women’s draw. Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Caroline Wozniacki, Casey Dellacqua, Sam Stosur, Andrea Petkovic, Flavia Pennetta, Belinda Bencic, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Sabine Lisicki, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Carla Suarez Navarro, Angelique Kerber, and Lucie Safarova were all eliminated in either the first or second round. This has opened up the draw for the remainder, ensuring an exciting second week of the tournament.