Australian Open: A Last Minute Preview

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So for those in the United States, the Australian Open technically begins today! And for other tennis lovers like myself, I could not be more excited. After having a 2012 in which nobody won more than 1 major championship, this Aussie Open could set the tempo for the rest of the year. And although Novak Djokovic is the heavy favorite, there are a handful of names to pick from. In this final blog before action begins on ESPN at 6:30 PM EST, here are our picks for the the 2013 Australian Open. Get ready for an epic fortnight of tennis!

MEN'S DRAW:

Novak's Quarter: 

Winner: Novak Djokovic (1)
Dark Horse: Sam Querrey (20)
Early Exit Surprise: Tomas Berdych (5)

Ferrer's Quarter:

Winner: David Ferrer (4)
Dark Horse: Kei Nishikori (16)
Early Exit Surprise: Janko Tipseravic (8)

Murray's Quarter:

Winner: Juan Martin Del Potro (6)
Dark Horse: Alex Dolgopolov (18)
Early Exit Surprise: Marin Cilic (12)

Federer's Quarter:

Winner: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (7)
Dark Horse: Richard Gasquet (9)
Early Exit Surprise: Milos Raonic (13)

Semifinals:

Djokovic def. Ferrer
Del Potro def. Tsonga

Final:

Del Potro def. Djokovic - 7-6, 6-4, 2-6, 4-6, 6-3

WOMEN'S DRAW:

Vika's Quarter:

Winner: Victoria Azarenka (1)
Dark Horse: Varvara Lipchenko (21)
Early Exit Surprise: Caroline Wozniacki (10)

Serena's Quarter:

Winner: Serena Williams (3)
Dark Horse: Sloane Stephens (29)
Early Exit Surprise: Petra Kvitova (8)

Radwanksa's Quarter:

Winner: Sam Stosur (9)
Dark Horse: Ana Ivanovic (13)
Early Exit Surprise: Na Li (6)

Sharapova's Quarter:

Winner: Maria Sharapova (2)
Dark Horse: Marion Bartoli (11)
Early Exit Surprise: Angelique Kerber (5)

Semifinals:

Williams def. Azarenka
Sharapova def. Stosur

Final:

Williams def. Sharapova 6-1, 6-4

And there you have it folks. Those are my guesses for what is going to happen in the next 2 weeks. Will I be totally right or completely wrong? Looks like we'll have to wait and see. Got any other predictions? Let us know in the comments!