Real tennis fans, with its long history, superb stadiums and memorable matches, always hugely anticipate the Australian Open. Congratulations to the 2002 champions Jennifer Capriati who successfully defended her title, and to Thomas Johansson for winning his first Grand Slam. The first of the four majors, it's held at the start of the tennis year and so is a benchmark for the rest of the season. The list of previous winners reads like a who's who of tennis legends: Sampras, Hingis, Lendl, Seles, Wilander, Navratilova, Connors, Court, Emerson... with many other famous champions too numerous to mention.

The Australian Open tournament, played every January, is the first of the four Grand Slam tournaments each year. Melbourne is the venue for this event and it sets the pace for the rest of the three tournaments. Most players consider it a challenging test because of the high temperatures on court also, since it is summer in Melbourne in January.

Anna Kournikova at Australian Open

In 1997, Anna crashed out in the first round, losing to Amanda Coetzer, 2-6, 2-6, but in the next two years, reached the round. In 1999 Anna overcame Jill Craybas 7-6, 7-5, Miho Saeki, 1-6, 6-4, 10-8; Andrea Glass, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the third round. Like the last year, the fourth round saw Anna making her exit, losing at the hands of Mary Pierce 0-6, 4-6.

In 2000, Anna Kournikova got the fourth round. She defeated Patricia Wartusch, 6-0, 6-0; defeated Natasha Zvereva 6-1, 6-4; defeated Kveta Hrdlickova, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. In the fourth round a much stronger Lindsay Davenport, 4-6, 3-6, defeated her.

Anna Kournikova improved upon this in 2001 by making it to the quarterfinals. In the first round she beat Daniela Hantuchova, 6-2, 7-5; in the second, defeated Rita Kuti Kis 6-3, 6-4. Anna fought to win over Barbara Schett 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, and also prevailed over Barbara Rittner with a score of 6-3, 6-1. This, however, has been her career best showing at the Australian Open.

In 2002, she departed in the first round, crashing out to Justine Henin, 2-6, 5-7. The next year was only marginally better, as she lost in the second round. However, she won the Doubles title of the tournament with partner Martina Hingis that year, their second Aussie Open after 1999.