3. Maria Sharapova (Rus)(3) vs Bethanie Mattek-Sands (US)
Bethanie Mattek-Sands couldn't have asked for a better run to the first grand slam of the year. In the warm up tournament in Sydney, She knocked out Aussie Open fifth seed Radwanska as well as thirtieth seed Bouchard before retiring against compatriot Madison Keys in the quarters. In the run up to a grand slam, players are going to be extra cautious about any little twinges and will want to nurture any potential injuries just in case. This is probably the case with Mattek-Sands as she has declared herself fit for the Australian Open and her tough first round draw against number three seed, Maria Sharapova. And she'll need to be at her fittest if she is to knock out the Russian, who has made the semi-finals in her last two consecutive tries. Mattek-Sands has yet to beat Sharapova, having played her four times in the past but the American seems to be improving and could capitalise if a notoriously unpredictable Sharapova turns up. She's bound to be hungry for a victory and not go down five to nothing in their head to head. Sharapova missed the last grand slam in New York and although it's not likely, she might be rusty when it comes to the big stage. It's been known to happen. We all know anything can happen in the first week of a slam. Everyone's keen to make their mark and underdogs stand every chance of causing some big upsets. Mattek-Sands is a colourful player and Sharapova has lost to women with a lot less talent than Bethanie has (the world number 131 knocked her out in round two of Wimbledon last year). If she can play aggressively and not be intimidated by the shrieking powerhouse that is Maria Sharapova then this should be a competitive match.