Sky Sports' tennis experts Barry Cowan, Annabel Croft and Mark Petchey give their Australian Open predictions as world No 1 Andy Murray aims to finally become the main man Down Under.
The new world No 1 doesn't have the best of records in Melbourne having finished as runner-up in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016, losing four of those finals to Novak Djokovic.
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The Serb has won the tournament five times in the last six years, and if he wins the title for a seventh time overall, he would pull him one clear of Roy Emerson.
In the women's draw, Johanna Konta will be flying the British flag as she looks to emulate her semi-final appearance last year, but she will have defending champion Angelique Kerber and 22-time major winner Serena Williams to contend with.
Tennis predictions 2017
Will Andy Murray retain his No 1 spot or will Novak Djokovic show who's the boss?
We have asked each of our experts to predict what might happen Down Under as we prepare for the first Grand Slam of 2017, and make sure you place your vote for the overall men's winner.
Can Murray finally win in Australia?
Annabel says:
I think he definitely can. When you see what he achieved at the end of last year, of course he's got a great shot at it. But it's hard to say after that final in Doha. You feel like he's the favourite, but with Djokovic there, it's going to be very, very interesting.
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Barry says:
I do think so. I was really impressed with the way he played last week. Clearly he hasn't lost any of that will to win. Djokovic for me will start favourite, but Andy is in magnificent shape. Logic would suggest another Murray-Djokovic final.
Petch says:
For sure he __can win. The first week has shown that he's not lost any of his motivation and desire. The off-season training has been as hard as ever. I think he'll be in a very positive frame of mind heading into the tournament.
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What about Roger and Rafa's chances?
Annabel says:
It's a bit of an unknown quantity with Roger. He brings such a command of respect every time he steps onto the court. With the love the fans have for him, he'll have enormous support.
At the Hopman Cup, he looked fresh and raring to go - really up for it. The key will be watching him move after that knee injury he sustained, but he looks to be moving extremely well. A lot will depend on the draw [on how well he does] because he could come up against one of the top four earlier in the tournament.
With Rafa, there looks like a lot of work has gone in during that off-season. Again, he's certainly not one to be underestimated and I think the tour is so excited to have him back.
Barry says:
Federer would have been pleased with the way he performed last week in Perth. I do think he's going to have a good year and I would put Roger having as much chance of winning the tournament as Milos Raonic.
With the way I feel about Rafa now is no different to the way I felt about him the last 18 months - he's playing great tennis and he's still playing at a phenomenal level.
What we haven't been able to see from Rafa is when the pressure is really on, __can he back himself? We don't know whether that's terminal. I think that he's talking positively, but he's an unknown quantity at the moment.
Petch says:
They're both looking in great form. Obviously movement is a huge part of being successful, but especially in this era and both look extremely strong and really sharp. I would think, given the right circumstances, they're both thinking of going deep in this draw.
There will be a lot of people nervous about their chances because of where they are going to pop out in the draw. I think it's great for the game because having Federer and Nadal adds a lot of appeal to the first week of a Grand Slam.
Who are the dark horses?
Annabel says:
I'm a big Dominic Thiem fan. I really love the way he plays and I hope he has a good season. I also think David Goffin has been phenomenal. He's such a hard worker with so much talent. Also, Grigor Dimitrov and Nick Kyrgios. The Australian is such a character and if I were to sum him up in a couple of words, it would be 'box office'.
The other player to keep an eye out for is Alexander Zverev. He is so hungry and dedicated to wanting to get to the top. He's born to be a star with so much self-belief - I love the way he plays.
Barry says:
Alexander Zverev is the one. He is going to make a breakthrough at some stage, massively. He is going to get to a semi-final of a Grand Slam. I don't see any reason why this couldn't be the breakthrough for him and become a semi-finalist.
Petch says:
Watching Zverev up close at the Hopman Cup, he's done five weeks of physical hard work with Jez Green - he didn't hit a ball and now he looks strong, he's moving great. Zverev is probably 18 months away from beating those top guys over five sets, but in ball-striking terms, he's there or there about.
I also think Dimitrov has got his mojo back as long as he can keep the distractions to a minimum. Unquestionably his place is in the Top 10 and I think he'll be there, very, very soon.
Who will win the men's title?
Annabel says:
It's going to be either Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray, but it's hard to pick between the two. I'm not going to be pushed on a winner - it's either one or the other.
Barry says:
Novak Djokovic. The way he was able to win that semi-final in Doha against Fernando Verdasco and the way he played in the final was nine-tenths of the old Djokovic. The conditions in Australia are perfect for him and that for me is why he has done so much better there than at the US Open.
Petch says:
I kind of feel Andy Murray deserves to win the Aussie Open. If there's any justice in this world, and I know there's somebody on the other side of the net that's going to want to dish out some non-justice. But for what he's given to that tournament, he deserves to have his name on the trophy.
Who will win the women's title?
Annabel says:
It will be interesting to see where Serena is at after announcing that she is getting married and also her surprise early exit in Auckland. I think with every year that goes past she's always my favourite when she enters a tournament, but it's not a surprise when somebody beats her these days - you wouldn't have said that a few years ago.
I'm going to go for Karolina Pliskova to win the title. She has had a great start to the season, puts in the hard work and has a great coach in David Kotyza, who coached Petra Kvitova and Caroline Wozniacki. I have a feeling she might win it.
Barry says:
I've always gone with Serena Williams, but something tells me it's going to be even harder for her this year. She would be my favourite because I don't see anyone else, in my opinion, ready to take over that mantle as the world number one. It's going to be very tough for defending champion Angelique Kerber - I don't see her dominating the women's game. It's tough to predict, but exciting.
Petch says:
Jo Konta. My only reservation is that she's played these two tournaments leading into the Aussie Open. I really like her game and the way she takes care of people and watching her play the way she has done over the past 12 months, I just feel she's got a real shot.
In coach Wim Fissette, it's not like she's hired a bull hopper. He's a great coach and he's been there and done it, so in that perspective he's going to know how to handle a lot of the preparation, and if she can navigate her way through the first week, then I like her chances.
Annabel and Barry on Jo Konta's chances?
Annabel says:
I do think she has a great shot at winning a Grand Slam this year. When you look at all the players in the Top 10, she's beaten most of them and she's gained an enormous amount of respect on the tour. She's done that through hard work and graft. She's certainly not one to be underestimated.
Barry says:
I'm unsure. From a distance, I was surprised with her split from her coach Esteban Carril. I think the Australian Open will come too soon for her. She's also defending semi-final points, so there will be extra pressure on her. If she makes the second week, then I think that will be acceptable.
Check our game-by-game updates from Andy Murray's matches at the 2017 Australian Open by following our blog on skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile devices and iPad or our Twitter account @skysportstennis.
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