Halep faces local teen wildcard at Australian Open

Melbourne, January 11: World number one Simona Halep will begin her Australian Open campaign against local teenage wildcard Destanee Aiava.

World No.1 @Simona_Halep will open her bid for a maiden Grand Slam title against Australian Destanee Aiava.

Genie Bouchard or Ocean Dodin await the winner in the second round.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/o8jCxBRc08

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2018

Halep has suffered first-round defeats in her last two trips to Melbourne and remains without a grand slam title, having lost two French Open finals, including last year's to Jelena Ostapenko.

Third seed and Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza will face French wildcard Jessika Ponchet, with former world number one and 2016 champion Angelique Kerber placed in her quarter of the draw.

The German, who has reached the Sydney semi-finals, gets under way against compatriot Anna-Lena Friedsam.

Maria Sharapova will face Tatjana Maria in her opening match.

Awaiting the winner in the next round: Anastasija Sevastova or Varvara Lepchenko#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/RZLgnwqItd

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2018

With Serena Williams absent as she regains fitness after giving birth, Kerber is one of just two former winners in the field - Maria Sharapova is the other and will begin her campaign against Tatjana Maria of Germany.

Caroline Wozniacki, WTA Finals champion and the second seed, faces Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu.

Venus Williams lost last year's final to her pregnant, younger sister and has been drawn against Belinda Bencic in round one.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

2017 #AusOpen runner-up @Venuseswilliams will open against @BelindaBencic, who helped Switzerland to the #HopmanCup title pic.twitter.com/meU3QSXDsr

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2018

Ostapenko will take on veteran Francesca Schiavone, while US Open winner Sloane Stephens begins against Zhang Shuai.

Fourth seed Elina Svitolina, champion in Brisbane last week, has been drawn against an as-yet unknown qualifier.

Notable women’s first-round match-ups:

Venus v Bencic
Cibulkova v Kanepi
Stosur v Puig
Petkovic v Kvitova#AusOpen

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2018

A world number one last year, Karolina Pliskova (6) takes on Veronica Cepede Royg, and eighth seed Caroline Garcia has been drawn against Carina Witthoeft.

Source: OPTA