Roger Federer holds his trophy aloft after winning the men's final at the 2006 Australian Open. (Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press)

After a bit of a layoff, the tennis circuit picks up again when the 2007 Australian Open, the first of the four Grand Slam tournaments, kicks off Monday in Melbourne.

World No. 1 Roger Federer came close to sweeping all four Grand Slam events last year – he won in Australia, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, but lost to Rafael Nadal in the finals of the French Open.

This year, the Swiss superstar is determined to become the first player to win all four Grand Slams in the same calendar year since Australian Rod Laver did it in 1969. The first step is winning in Melbourne.

On the women’s side, reigning champion Amelie Mauresmo is determined to prove that last year’s victory over Justine Henin-Hardenne in the final, her first Grand Slam title, wasn’t a fluke.

Here's a look at the men's and women's singles players to keep an eye on, along with analysis from CBC Sports tennis analyst Peter Burwash.

FAVOURITES
MEN:
Roger Federer – Switzerland
Tournament seed: #1
Best result at Australian Open: Champion (2004 and 2006)
2006 result: Champion
The world's best tennis player has won two of the last three Australian Opens and is the defending champion. Another victory this year would give him 10 Grand Slam titles, tying him for fifth place on the all-time list with American William Tilden. It's hard to see the Swiss sensation falling short, although a potential matchup with last year's finalist Marcos Baghdatis in the quarter-finals could trip him up.

Rafael Nadal – Spain
Tournament seed: #2
Best result at Australian Open: 4th round (2005)
2006 result: Did not play because of injury
The Spaniard missed last year's tournament with a foot injury, so he'll be looking to make amends with a strong showing. Nadal's breakout season came in 2005 and it started at the Australian Open where he lost to eventual runner-up Lleyton Hewitt in the fourth round. Last week, he withdrew from a tune-up tournament with a groin strain but he claims he's 100 per cent going into the Australian Open and ready to challenge Federer.

WOMEN:
Maria Sharapova – Russia
Tournament seed: #1
Best result at Australian Open: Semifinals (2005 and 2006)
2006 result: Semifinals
The young Russian is still riding high from her U.S. Open victory in August and looks ready to win her first Australian Open (she's reached the semifinals the past two years). Sharapova opted to skip the traditional warm-up tournaments in favour of arriving early in Melbourne to become acclimatized to the city's weather conditions. The withdrawal of world No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne means this is Sharapova's tournament to lose.

Amelie Mauresmo won her first Grand Slam last year in Australia. (Carl de Souza/AFP/Getty Images)

Amelie Mauresmo – France
Tournament seed: #2
Best result at Australian Open: Champion (2006)
2006 result: Champion
Last year's winner boasts a strong groundstroke game and a powerful serve, which is perfect for the hardcourt game. After winning her first Grand Slam Australia last year, she followed it up with a victory at Wimbledon, thus proving to her critics she could win the big one. Mauresmo is coming off a loss in the quarter-finals of the Sydney International earlier this month, but the Frenchwoman is noted for her mental toughness.

ON THE RISE
MEN:
Andy Roddick – U.S.
Tournament seed: #6
Best result at Australian Open: Semifinals (2003 and 2005)
2006 result: Fourth round
The brash American looked sluggish in the first half of 2006 but he rebounded and reached the finals of the U.S. Open in August soon after hiring eight-time grand slam winner Jimmy Connors as his coach. Roddick has looked more focused since hooking up with Connors, and he's also matured. He beat Federer in an exhibition warm-up tournament this past weekend, giving himself a boost of confidence and momentum going into the Australian Open.

WOMEN:
Dinara Safina – Russia
Tournament seed: #9
Best result at Australian Open: Semifinals (2003 and 2005)
2006 result: Fourth round
The young Russian is coming off one of the biggest victories of her career, having defeated Martina Hingis in the final of the Australian women's hardcourt championships earlier this month. It was her first WTA Tour title since 2005 and the victory also saw her crack the world Top 10. Safina has been known to lose her temper in the past, but has shown recently she can keep a lid on her emotions and stay focused when it matters.

ON THE SLIDE
MEN:
Lleyton Hewitt – Australia
Tournament seed: #19
Best result at Australian Open: Runner-up (2005)
2006 result: Second round
Several factors are working against the hometown favourite, not least of which is he's nursing a calf injury. Hewitt lost to Russian Igor Kunitsyn in a round-robin match at the Adelaide International earlier this month and then had an argument with his coach Roger Rasheed, which eventually resulted in Rasheed quitting. Hewitt has also played just two singles matches since Australia's Davis Cup loss to Argentina last September.

WOMEN:
Svetlana Kuznetsova – Russia
Tournament seed: #3
Best result at Australian Open: Quarter-finals (2005)
2006 result: Fourth round
The Russian reached the finals of the French Open last year but failed to advance beyond the fourth round in the following two Grand Slams of 2006. Known as one of the fittest players on the women's tour, Kuznetsova was forced to pull out of two warm-up events earlier this month because of respiratory problems. If she's not 100 per cent, there's little chance she can survive the gruelling heat and pace of the two-week Australian Open.

DARK HORSES
MEN:
James Blake – U.S.
Tournament seed: #5
Best result at Australian Open: Fourth round (2003 and 2004)
2006 result: Third round
Blake has a tough opener against former No. 1 Carlos Moya, although he did defeat the veteran Spaniard in the final at the Sydney International this past weekend to win his sixth title in the last year – only Federer has more victories in that span, with 12. Blake has yet to advance past the fourth round in five Australian Opens, but he shot up the world rankings by 20 places since last year and is playing the best tennis of his career.

WOMEN:
Martina Hingis – Switzerland
Tournament seed: #6
Best result at Australian Open: Champion (1997, 1998 and 1999)
2006 result: Quarter-finals
The Swiss star is in top form after reaching the finals of the Australian women's hardcourt championships earlier this month. Hingis is one of the smartest players on the women's circuit, using an array of shots to outwit her opponents. Her ability to hit the ball crisply is an ideal match for the hardcourt game. She's also more relaxed than ever and seems to have a new lease on life after a three-year hiatus from the game.

PETER BURWASH’S TAKE ON THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN
The Australian Open used to be the bottom of the four Grand Slams in terms of popularity amongst fans and players, but now it’s become the favourite.

They’ve got quite a few stadiums, and the viewing is terrific, so the organizers have really thought it out well. The prices are very reasonable, both to get in and once you’re in the grounds – you’re not paying nine or 10 dollars for a baked potato.

It’s a very friendly atmosphere. I’ve talked to many people in the tennis world who say that’s the one tournament they appreciate and enjoy the most because of the way everybody is taken care of.

It’s safe. Melbourne is a nice city. The players like it because it’s a five- to eight-minute car ride over to the stadiums, whereas the U.S. Open is a big commute (from New York to Flushing Meadows) – Lleyton Hewitt almost missed a match coming in from New York City last year. With New York, Paris and London, traffic is horrendous, so if you consider everything the Australian Open has to offer, I think from the point of view of the players, the spectators and the press, it’s the favourite.

All the Grand Slams have their fair share of upsets, but I think it’s a different kind of upset that takes place at the Australian Open. It’s an upset because they’re generally rusty whereas at the French Open and Wimbledon, it’s usually more of an upset due to the fact that the person can’t play the surface well.

The weather can be pretty tricky. It can be really, really hot or the wind can make it quite cold where you’re shivering. The worst part of the Australian Open is you get these flies, these Texas-sized flies down there that are all over you.

During the layoff from the end of last season, a lot of the players have played the indoor circuit, they’ve been training indoors while they’ve been home, so going from outdoors to indoors is easy, but going indoors to outdoors is, by far, the most difficult transition because you’re dealing with the sun and the wind.