Australian Open 2014: 10 contenders to win in Melbourne, including Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka

The tournament in Melbourne begins on Monday - but who will be the last woman standing?

Late show: Serena Williams’ match was moved to Centre Court well after 8pm (AP)

The Australian Open gets underway next week.

Serena Williams will be aiming for her sixth title Down Under, and her 18th Grand Slam triumph.

But second seed Victoria Azarenka, who will bid for a hat-trick of titles at Melbourne Park, and third seed Maria Sharapova will be in the mix.

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Angelique Kerber, Jelena Jankovic, Sara Errani, Agnieszka Radwanska, and Ana Ivanovic are also all notable contenders.

Here, we take a look at 10 contenders to secure the win in the first grand slam of the year.