Mal's Picks
	Washington Former ATP Tour pro MaliVai Washington is providing ESPN.com with analysis during the Australian Open.

MELBOURNE, Australia -- After a great 2002 season, it's hard to believe that the 2003 Australian Open is already upon us. What a great way to start with the year's first major.

Here are my contenders for the Australian Open:

Lleyton Hewitt

Mal's Analysis

You can't talk about a favorite in a tournament without talking about Lleyton Hewitt. He's proven over the past two years that he is the best player in the world. This year, he won't be plagued by the chicken pox like he was in 2002, so he should come into this tournament on a mission. He starts out the tournament playing a qualifier, so it will give him a chance to get his feet wet and work his way into the tournament. After winning two majors, including the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, I feel like an Australian Open win is his biggest goal for 2003. Expect some great tennis out of Hewitt and expect the fans to be completely behind him.

Andre Agassi

Mal's Analysis

Knowing Andre Agassi, I feel he ended last year in a very disappointing way. Yes, he did finish No. 2 in the world but at his age, he knows that there are fewer and fewer opportunities for that coveted No. 1 spot. Last year he just got beat out by a better player who is much younger. With that said, I think he's coming into 2003 with a goal of winning a major. I don't think being No. 1 is the top priority considering his age and time on the tour. The last time he played a match in Rod Laver Arena, he was victorious winning his seventh major in the 2001 final. The older Agassi gets the more difficult it is going to be for him to compete and last with the younger players. So it's going to be very important for him to spend as little time as possible on the court, which is what he typically does. It's why he's been able to succeed. Expect Agassi to post a good performance.

Paradorn Srichaphan

Mal's Analysis

Paradorn Srichaphan is starting 2003 like he ended 2002 -- on a hot streak. After last year's U.S. Open, he was the hottest player through the end of the year with the exception of Lleyton Hewitt. Srichaphan started this year off in the same fashion, winning his second title in Chennai. Expect him to have a good Australian Open on a hard-court surface, where he has found so much success on in the past 12 months. Don't be surprised if you see him in the second week. I wouldn't be surprised if you saw him still in the tournament toward the end of the second week. He's that good.

Gustavo Kuerten

Mal's Analysis

Last season was a down year for Gustavo Kuerten because of a groin injury and subsequent surgery that had him out for the first half of the year. He was never able to recover fully and regain the form that won him three French Opens. I think 2003 will be one of the most important years of his career because it will show people how hungry he really is to become one of the premier players on the tour again. One of the most difficult things as a player is to come off of a serious injury and regain your form only time will tell how quickly he can get his form back. I've always thought he could be successful in Australia, but he's never had a lot of success on the Rebound Ace.

James Blake

Mal's Analysis

I predicted last year that James Blake would finish in the top 20 by the end of the year. He finished instead in the top 30. Blake has every shot on the tennis court and has become a late bloomer largely due to his hard work since turning pro. For him, 2003 will be an important year because he has had a steady progression in his ranking in the past three years. The question is, will he continue improving, which is always more and more difficult as you move up the rankings, or will his ranking and his game stall in that 20-30 range. I suspect 2003 will be the best year he's had yet.

Roger Federer

Mal's Analysis

I'm going to go with my stalwart Roger Federer again. Roger, when are you going to win a major? I've been saying it for two years, it's only a matter of time. Last year you had the best year of your career finishing No. 6. It's time for you to step up and win your first major. There's no reason it can't be the 2003 Aussie Open.

Carlos Moya

Mal's Analysis

The end of last year saw an interesting Masters Cup with three Spaniards all looking to finish inside the top 10. It was great to see Carlos Moya healthy and playing the tennis he hadn't played in two or three years. Moya is a player who should be in the top 10 year after year, but unless you're on top of your game and healthy it's very difficult to do that.

Juan Carlos Ferrero

Mal's Analysis

Juan Carlos Ferrero, on the other hand, is just coming into his own. He's proven he can win on clay, now it's time for him to make a move to the next level. For him that next level is winning a major. It will be a disappointing year for Ferrero if he goes another year without winning a major.

Andy Roddick

Mal's Analysis

The past two years for Andy Roddick have been very good years, and he has continually improved. Last year, finishing No. 10 was a great accomplishment but was disappointing because he didn't qualify for the Masters Cup, which was one of his goals for the year. I put Roddick in the same category as Federer and Ferrero -- great players who have had great successes but have never won a major. It's time for Roddick to take that next step. He doesn't want to be known as that player who has a lot of talent, has good years every year but when it comes down to the majors is unable to win. If that goes on too long it becomes a mental block. But with all of that said, I wish I had that kind of talent at his age.