Sloane will face her heroine Serena for the first time.

FROM THE BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL – It is pretty difficult to know who exactly will start the season off with a bang, as so many players come into the new season feeling fresh and eager, but some clearly had more productive off seasons than others, although if you talk to almost any player, the standard response is that they are in better shape and form than they were a couple of months ago.

Brisbane has the best combined field of any year-opening tournament with a top drawer women