Serena Williams kicks off her campaign for a sixth Australian Open title against Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck. The top seed has no major danger matches until the quarter-finals, where a potential clash against Caroline Wozniacki looms. Second seed Maria Sharapova will take on a qualifier as she aims for her second trophy after her 2008 triumph, with eighth seed Eugenie Bouchard a likely quarter-final opponent. Serena Williams hits a backhand during a practice session at Melbourne Park on Thursday . Maria Sharapova reaches down low to play a forehand during training on the Rod Laver Arena . Simona Halep of Romania, ranked third and rated a dark horse to clinch her maiden grand slam, will take on Italian Karin Knapp first up. Twice champion Victoria Azarenka is unseeded after her 2014 season was all but wiped out by injury and shapes as a dangerous floater in the draw. Caroline Wozniacki hits a return as the Dane prepares for the start of the Australian Open . Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka works hard during training at Melbourne Park . She will clash with American Sloane Stephens in the first round before a potentially mouthwatering meeting with Williams in the quarter-finals. Serena Williams (USA) (1) v Alison Van Uytvanck (Bel) Vera Zvonareva (Rus) v QUALIFIER . Olivia Rogowska (Aus) v Nicole Gibbs (USA) Jana Cepelova (Svk) v Elina Svitolina (Ukr) (26) Garbine Muguruza (Spa) (24) v Marina Erakovic (Nzl) Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) v Saisai Zheng (Chn) Kimiko Date Krumm (Jpn) v QUALIFIER . Timea Bacsinszky (Swi) v Jelena Jankovic (Ser) (15) Dominika Cibulkova (Svk) (11) v Kirsten Flipkens (Bel) Tsvetana Pironkova (Bul) v Heather Watson (Gbr) Romina Oprandi (Swi) v QUALIFIER . Shuai Zhang (Chn) v Alize Cornet (Fra) (19) Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (Cze) (25) v Timea Babos (Hun) Jie Zheng (Chn) v Kai-Chen Chang (Tpe) Sloane Stephens (USA) v Victoria Azarenka (Blr) Taylor Townsend (USA) v Caroline Wozniacki (Den) (8) Petra Kvitova (Cze) (4) v QUALIFIER . Donna Vekic (Cro) v Mona Barthel (Ger) Lesia Tsurenko (Ukr) v Madison Keys (USA) Yvonne Meusburger (Aut) v Casey Dellacqua (Aus) (29) Samantha Stosur (Aus) (20) v Monica Niculescu (Rom) Francesca Schiavone (Ita) v Coco Vandeweghe (USA) Irina Falconi (USA) v Kaia Kanepi (Est) Madison Brengle (USA) v Andrea Petkovic (Ger) (13) Flavia Pennetta (Ita) (12) v Camila Giorgi (Ita) Tereza Smitkova (Cze) v Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Cro) Lauren Davis (USA) v Aleksandra Krunic (Ser) Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (Spa) v Venus Williams (USA) (18) Varvara Lepchenko (USA) (30) v Vitalia Diatchenko (Rus) Shelby Rogers (USA) v Ajla Tomljanovic (Cro) Alla Kudryavtseva (Rus) v Johanna Larsson (Swe) Kurumi Nara (Jpn) v Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) (6) Ana Ivanovic (Ser) (5) v QUALIFIER . Polona Hercog (Slo) v Qiang Wang (Chn) Storm Sanders (Aus) v Klara Koukalova (Cze) Julia Goerges (Ger) v Belinda Bencic (Swi) (32) Karolina Pliskova (Cze) (22) v QUALIFIER . Alison Riske (USA) v Oceane Dodin (Fra) Roberta Vinci (Ita) v Bojana Jovanovski (Ser) An-Sophie Mestach (Bel) v Ekaterina Makarova (Rus) (10) Sara Errani (Ita) (14) v Grace Min (USA) Silvia Soler Espinosa (Spa) v Annika Beck (Ger) QUALIFIER v Lara Arruabarrena (Spa) Yanina Wickmayer (Bel) v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Rus) (23) Sabine Lisicki (Ger) v Kristina Mladenovic (Fra) Ying-Ying Duan (Chn) v Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) Jarmila Gajdosova (Aus) v Alexandra Dulgheru (Rom) Karin Knapp (Ita) v Simona Halep (Rom) (3) Eugenie Bouchard (Can) (7) v Anna-Lena Friedsam (Ger) Kiki Bertens (Ned) v Daria Gavrilova (Rus) Stefanie Voegele (Swi) v Pauline Parmentier (Fra) Caroline Garcia (Fra) v Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) (27) Carla Suarez Navarrow (Spa) (17) v Carina Witthoeft (Ger) QUALIFIER v Christina McHale (USA) Elena Vesnina (Rus) v Katerina Siniakova (Cze) Irina-Camelia Begu (Rom) v Angelique Kerber (Ger) (9) Lucie Safarova (Cze) (16) v Yaroslava Shvedova (Kaz) Monica Puig (Pur) v Arina Rodionova (Aus) Ana Konjuh (Cro) v Magdalena Rybarikova (Svk) QUALIFIER v Shuai Peng (Chn) (21) Zarina Diyas (Kaz) (31) v QUALIFIER . Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (Svk) v Chanelle Scheepers (Rsa) QUALIFIER v Sorana Cirstea (Rom) QUALIFIER v Maria Sharapova (Rus) (2)
Serena Williams faces Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck in the first round .
Maria Sharapova opens her campaign against a qualifier .
Victoria Azarenka faces Sloane Stephens in her Melbourne Park opener .
Serena Williams kicks off her campaign for a sixth Australian Open title against Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck. The top seed has no major danger matches until the quarter-finals, where a potential clash against Caroline Wozniacki looms. Second seed Maria Sharapova will take on a qualifier as she aims for her second trophy after her 2008 triumph, with eighth seed Eugenie Bouchard a likely quarter-final opponent. Serena Williams hits a backhand during a practice session at Melbourne Park on Thursday . Maria Sharapova reaches down low to play a forehand during training on the Rod Laver Arena . Simona Halep of Romania, ranked third and rated a dark horse to clinch her maiden grand slam, will take on Italian Karin Knapp first up. Twice champion Victoria Azarenka is unseeded after her 2014 season was all but wiped out by injury and shapes as a dangerous floater in the draw. Caroline Wozniacki hits a return as the Dane prepares for the start of the Australian Open . Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka works hard during training at Melbourne Park . She will clash with American Sloane Stephens in the first round before a potentially mouthwatering meeting with Williams in the quarter-finals. Serena Williams (USA) (1) v Alison Van Uytvanck (Bel) Vera Zvonareva (Rus) v QUALIFIER . Olivia Rogowska (Aus) v Nicole Gibbs (USA) Jana Cepelova (Svk) v Elina Svitolina (Ukr) (26) Garbine Muguruza (Spa) (24) v Marina Erakovic (Nzl) Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) v Saisai Zheng (Chn) Kimiko Date Krumm (Jpn) v QUALIFIER . Timea Bacsinszky (Swi) v Jelena Jankovic (Ser) (15) Dominika Cibulkova (Svk) (11) v Kirsten Flipkens (Bel) Tsvetana Pironkova (Bul) v Heather Watson (Gbr) Romina Oprandi (Swi) v QUALIFIER . Shuai Zhang (Chn) v Alize Cornet (Fra) (19) Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (Cze) (25) v Timea Babos (Hun) Jie Zheng (Chn) v Kai-Chen Chang (Tpe) Sloane Stephens (USA) v Victoria Azarenka (Blr) Taylor Townsend (USA) v Caroline Wozniacki (Den) (8) Petra Kvitova (Cze) (4) v QUALIFIER . Donna Vekic (Cro) v Mona Barthel (Ger) Lesia Tsurenko (Ukr) v Madison Keys (USA) Yvonne Meusburger (Aut) v Casey Dellacqua (Aus) (29) Samantha Stosur (Aus) (20) v Monica Niculescu (Rom) Francesca Schiavone (Ita) v Coco Vandeweghe (USA) Irina Falconi (USA) v Kaia Kanepi (Est) Madison Brengle (USA) v Andrea Petkovic (Ger) (13) Flavia Pennetta (Ita) (12) v Camila Giorgi (Ita) Tereza Smitkova (Cze) v Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Cro) Lauren Davis (USA) v Aleksandra Krunic (Ser) Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (Spa) v Venus Williams (USA) (18) Varvara Lepchenko (USA) (30) v Vitalia Diatchenko (Rus) Shelby Rogers (USA) v Ajla Tomljanovic (Cro) Alla Kudryavtseva (Rus) v Johanna Larsson (Swe) Kurumi Nara (Jpn) v Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) (6) Ana Ivanovic (Ser) (5) v QUALIFIER . Polona Hercog (Slo) v Qiang Wang (Chn) Storm Sanders (Aus) v Klara Koukalova (Cze) Julia Goerges (Ger) v Belinda Bencic (Swi) (32) Karolina Pliskova (Cze) (22) v QUALIFIER . Alison Riske (USA) v Oceane Dodin (Fra) Roberta Vinci (Ita) v Bojana Jovanovski (Ser) An-Sophie Mestach (Bel) v Ekaterina Makarova (Rus) (10) Sara Errani (Ita) (14) v Grace Min (USA) Silvia Soler Espinosa (Spa) v Annika Beck (Ger) QUALIFIER v Lara Arruabarrena (Spa) Yanina Wickmayer (Bel) v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Rus) (23) Sabine Lisicki (Ger) v Kristina Mladenovic (Fra) Ying-Ying Duan (Chn) v Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) Jarmila Gajdosova (Aus) v Alexandra Dulgheru (Rom) Karin Knapp (Ita) v Simona Halep (Rom) (3) Eugenie Bouchard (Can) (7) v Anna-Lena Friedsam (Ger) Kiki Bertens (Ned) v Daria Gavrilova (Rus) Stefanie Voegele (Swi) v Pauline Parmentier (Fra) Caroline Garcia (Fra) v Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) (27) Carla Suarez Navarrow (Spa) (17) v Carina Witthoeft (Ger) QUALIFIER v Christina McHale (USA) Elena Vesnina (Rus) v Katerina Siniakova (Cze) Irina-Camelia Begu (Rom) v Angelique Kerber (Ger) (9) Lucie Safarova (Cze) (16) v Yaroslava Shvedova (Kaz) Monica Puig (Pur) v Arina Rodionova (Aus) Ana Konjuh (Cro) v Magdalena Rybarikova (Svk) QUALIFIER v Shuai Peng (Chn) (21) Zarina Diyas (Kaz) (31) v QUALIFIER . Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (Svk) v Chanelle Scheepers (Rsa) QUALIFIER v Sorana Cirstea (Rom) QUALIFIER v Maria Sharapova (Rus) (2)
Serena Williams kicks off her campaign for a sixth Australian Open title against Belgian Alison Van session at Melbourne Park on Thursday . Maria champion Victoria Azarenka works hard during American Sloane Stephens in the first round