Clijsters favourite despite injury

Were it not for a nagging hip injury, I would have been fully confident in suggesting Kim Clijsters to win the women's title at the Australian Open, starting on Monday. As it is, I am still more than tempted to stick with her as she has been the dominant player on the women's tour ever since she returned - after a year out with injury - in March of last year.

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Breaking her grand slam duck at the US Open four months ago should have relieved the pressure on her shoulders and if she's fit, she will take an awful lot of stopping in Melbourne, where she was the runner-up in 2004 - a year she actually began by spraining her ankle at the Hopman Cup just 10 days before the Australian Open.

The Belgian has been handed an excellent draw and she should cruise through at least to the quarter-finals, where she is seeded to face Mary Pierce, the runner-up at last year's French Open - to Justine Henin-Hardenne - and at the US Open - to Clijsters. At anything like 5/2 (3.50), she is a worthy favourite.

Henin-Hardenne is next in the betting, at around 3/1 (4.00), and, though she has only just returned after three months out, the former world No 1 looks in form and will be a threat. She is in the same half as Venus Williams, top seed Lindsay Davenport, defending champion Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, but there are doubts about all of those players.

RIVALS RUSTY
Wimbledon champion Venus looks rusty after the short off-season, but she is always dangerous, while Davenport is in decent form, but, even though she reached two grand slam finals last year, and held match-point over Venus at Wimbledon, there are doubts about her ability to last seven matches in a fortnight, particularly if it's hot this year in Mebourne.

Serena looks out of shape and not particularly interested, while Sharapova, who is a stubborn competitor and will give her all, is carrying a rib injury and may not be able to compete with the very best.

Third seed Amelie Mauresmo has a great draw and should be confident after winning the season-ending championships. A quarter-final against Patty Schnyder, who loves playing in Australia, could be tough, but otherwise she should be Clijsters' opponent in the semi-final.

Russians Elena Dementieva and Nadia Petrova can be dangerous but another Russian Vera Zvonereva, the 30th seed, could be in trouble when she plays former world No 1 Martina Hingis, who continues her comeback after three years of retirement. Zvonereva is notoriously brittle, mentally, and if she plays well, Hingis will probably beat her, a win which would open her up to the possibility of a third-round meeting with Pierce.

But, if I had to bet on this one, I would go for Clijsters to win, with perhaps a small outside bet on Mauresmo, who is likely to be around 9/1 (10.00).

CAMBERS' CALL:
Kim Clijsters to win 5/2 (3.50)
Amelie Mauresmo E/W 9/1 (10.00)

Please note that odds are correct at time of publication and are subject to change.