An exciting fortnight recently concluded, in Melbourne and the season is now well under way. Now, the women who made deep runs in Australia will look to build upon success Down Under.

Serena Williams entered the first major of the season with a number of questions following her subpar performance at Hopman Cup. Her losses at the hands of Eugenie Bouchard and Agnieszka Radwanska forced naysayers to the surface once more, calling into question whether she is in her twilight. At the age of 33 and with a history of injury and illness, it was unknown as to which version of Williams would appear in Melbourne. And after some sluggish early matches, many wondered if she brought the firepower to survive the fortnight. Williams herself had doubts, admitting that nerves crept in prior to the tournament. However, those answers were emphatically answered in the semifinals against Madison Keys and final against Maria Sharapova.

Williams has a history of elevating her game in the Grand Slams, and the last two rounds in Melbourne were no exception. Earning her 19th major championship, the American has taken the last two dating back to the US Open in September. And once again, she looks focused on a season where she may draw ever closer to Steffi Graf and her 22 major championships. Williams admitted that she will not look ahead, taking it one major at a time, and will play a more limited schedule with an emphasis on preparation for the Grand Slams.

Clearly, Williams is at a point in her career where her legacy is a focus moving ahead. She recently stated that, after winning her 18th major title, the pressure to win was removed and allowed her to play relaxed, which should benefit her in her quest to accumulate additional Grand Slam titles. Earning three more to equal Graf may offer validation to some as to her place in history when it comes to the discussion of greatest to ever play. Williams will look to take strides in that direction after a tremendous beginning to the 2015 season.

Maria Sharapova is still at her peak, injury-free, and playing at a high level. In 2014, she worked hard to place herself in the best position to earn major championships. By working her way back to world No. 2 last year, she assured that she would only meet her nemesis (Williams) in the final of a Grand Slam. With an easier path and playing arguably the best tennis of all the women entering the Australian Open, she took a major step towards another title. Unfortunately for the Russian, there was a familiar result against Williams in the final.

However, Sharapova showed some signs of improvement against the American. A slightly stronger-serving tiebreak in the second set could have set up a third set that likely could have gone either direction. Nevertheless, Sharapova has favorable results against most of the world’s top players and will continue to fight to overcome Williams as well as hold or better her current ranking. And with the next major on the red clay at Roland Garros, she will be on a friendly surface that many believe has become her best. It happens to be a surface that has not been historically comfortable for Williams.

An additional goal for Sharapova is to finish 2015 at world no. 1. Despite losing to Williams over the weekend, she is just over 1500 points behind the American and with Williams playing a limited schedule, there is opportunity to gain. With injuries behind her, Sharapova is currently at the top of her game. The last two weeks in Melbourne have underscored her ability to find success against some of the best. Despite falling to Williams, she easily defeated Bouchard and Ekaterina Makarova en route to her meeting against the world No. 1.

If results at the Australian Open are a harbinger for the coming season, it would appear that Williams and Sharapova have created some separation from the group of players just behind them. This could offer a season where these two fierce competitors frequently battle at Grand Slams, giving Sharapova an opportunity to change the direction of their head-to-head record.

Meanwhile, semifinalists Madison Keys and Ekaterina Makarova also have a huge upside to take away from their results.

Keys served notice to the tennis community that she is ready to break out and into the upper echelon of the WTA. Proving that she generates the power to compete toe-to-toe with the biggest hitters in the game, Keys only requires some refinement before she begins to produce consistent results. With Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport as coach, a partnership has been formed that gives her a realistic shot to move towards the top 10 before season’s end. With her semifinal result at the year’s first Grand Slam event, Keys broke into the top 20 for the first time in her career.

Meanwhile, Makarova moved into the top 10 by virtue of her run in Melbourne. Flying under the radar, the Russian is not a household name in comparison to other top players. But after back to back semifinals in her last two majors, she must now be considered a serious threat to win the biggest title. Wielding big strokes with a solid counter-punching game, Makarova has numerous weapons in her arsenal. Now in her prime, the left-hander is poised to continue her push towards the top. As evidenced during the last fortnight, she is not intimidated by the best in the game. Certainly, continued success at the majors along with a spot in the WTA Finals are reasonable goals for the 26-year-old.

As players regroup after a grinding two weeks in Australia, they will soon turn their focus to the Indian Wells and Miami Premier Mandatory events before all eyes are on Roland Garros. However, as is often the case, Melbourne sets the table for the remainder of the year. A quick rewind to 2014 is a strong reminder of this as Eugenie Bouchard began her breakout season there. Will the recent final four in Melbourne follow suit, parlaying success there into even greater results as this season progresses?