Harriet Dart and Dan Evans comes through qualifying to join Murray, Edmund, Norrie, Konta, Watson and Boulter
Tuesday 15 January 2019 13:26, UK
Eight British players are due to contest the singles events as the Grand Slam tennis season kicks off in Australia, what are their chances.
British build-up revolved around Andy Murray making his return to Melbourne after missing out last year but the news that the tournament could be his last has dominated the headlines.
The Scot has confirmed retirement is on the horizon, with Wimbledon scheduled to be his last event but the reality is that the curtain could come down in Australia.
While Murray battles the hip injury that has plagued him for the last two years, there are seven other home hopefuls hoping that Melbourne Park will get 2019 off to the perfect starts.
As well as Murray's five finals Johanna Konta is a former semi-finalist, Kyle Edmund reached the last four last year - what's in store when the action gets underway on Monday.
The former world No 1 hoped his tentative steps in 2018 would pave the way for a full return this season. Twelve months after hip surgery, even Murray will ever return to peak fitness, his appearance in Brisbane was not particularly encouraging, with the 31-year-old's movement still a major concern.
And that was confirmed in an emotional press conference on the eve of the tournament where the former world no 1 confirmed his own worst fears - he doesn't even know if he will get through Monday's opener.
That he faces 22nd seed Roberto Bautista Agut only makes the task harder, the Spaniard is one of the ATP's grinders and will stick around - Murray has won all three of their meetings but things are very different now for the Scot who has lost four finals in Melbourne but would do well to go beyond the opening day this year.
What a difference a year makes. Edmund arrived in Melbourne last January ranked just inside the top 50 and with few people talking about him as a potential challenger for the biggest titles. He left Melbourne Park as a Grand Slam semi-finalist. Just as importantly, the 24-year-old followed up that run with a fine season overall, including winning his first ATP Tour title in Antwerp.
He arrives as the 13th seed, in Rafael Nadal's quarter and must also deal with the pressure of defending a huge amount of ranking points. A first-round match against former Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych awaits, the Czech is a potentially awkward opponent despite falling down the rankings after a string of injury problems
A knee injury that saw him pull out of the Sydney International is a concern but perhaps a return to the venue that sparked the season of his life can get 2019 up and running.
For Edmund 2018, read Norrie 2019. The South Africa-born 23-year-old, who grew up in New Zealand reached his first ever ATP final on Saturday, losing to Tennys Sandgren in the final.
He starts his Aussie bid against big-serving Taylor Fritz, a man he beat on route to the Auckland final to continue the year where he left off in 2018. Norrie's rapid strides carried him into the top 100 a little over a year after he turned professional.
The fast-learning left-hander still has plenty of room for improvement in his game and will look to push towards the top 50 in 2019. He began the season with impressive wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Frances Tiafoe at the Hopman Cup.
After the difficulties of last year, 2019 presents new opportunities for British No 1 Konta who opens up against Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic.
Flashes of her form of 2016 and 2017 were evident last season but there was far too much inconsistency and a lack of belief in her game. The 27-year-old begins the new term with a new coach, Stan Wawrinka's former mentor Dimitri Zavialoff, after splitting from Michael Joyce.
Australian-born Konta has fond memories of Melbourne Park having reached the semi-finals three years ago and the last eight in 2017 but is she comes through her first rounder two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza is likely to be waiting for her.
Like Konta, Watson endured a difficult 2018, dropping out of the top 100 over the summer before climbing back in at the end of the season. That means, unlike at the US Open, she did not have to go through qualifying and her reward is a tie with 31st seed Petra Martic.
The 26-year-old has been searching for the right balance on and off the court and consistency remains a problem. This will be Watson's eighth straight appearance in Melbourne. Her best run was a third-round showing in 2013.
While Konta and Watson disappointed, 2018 saw a host of young British women make leaps forward, none more significant than 22-year-old Boulter. Tall with a big serve and forehand, Boulter, from Leicestershire, is hugely ambitious and made the breakthrough into the top 100 in October having started the season at 199.
She won her first Grand Slam match at Wimbledon last summer and will make her slam debut outside of the All England Club against Ekaterina Makarova, who was ranked as the world's no 1 doubles player last year but is a more than accomplished singles player who reached the last four in Melbourne in 2015.
The 28-year-old from Birmingham is making his way back on the tour after a one-year ban for failing a drug test. On his day he can be a match for the very best and he showcased arguably the shot of the year already during the qualifying event.
Having come through three matches to make the main draw he should come through against Tatsuma Ito and he would likely find himself in a second-round contest with Roger Federer whom he met at Wimbledon in 2016.
Up to a career high of 132 in the world rankings, the 22-year-old made her main draw debut at the Grand Slams with first-round defeat at Wimbledon last year but followed up with defeat in the first round of qualifying for the US Open.
Having come through qualifying in Melbourne she will go up against the 30th seed, but it's no ordinary 30th seed - the 2008 Australian Open champion and a five-time Grand Slam champion in Maria Sharapova
