Top-ranked Lindsay Davenport could meet Venus Williams in the quarterfinals and Anastasia Myskina in the semis. AP

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim peers into his crystal ball to predict how the women's and men's seeds will fare at this year's Australian Open. Scroll down to see the can't-miss first-round matches, some dark-horse candidates and his final predictions.

Top 16 seeds

1. Lindsay Davenport: It's hard to believe it has been five years since D-Port's last Slam -- this event is an excellent chance to get back on the board. If the top seed recovers from her cold, she ought to cruise through the first week. (If not, there are certainly more preferable first-round opponents than the vexing Conchita Martinez.)

2. Amelie Mauresmo: As always, the key to her success is between her broad shoulders. On paper -- particularly with the missing Belgians and the rusty Williamses -- she is a decent bet to win her first Slam. But the question still lingers: How will she handle it when she and Serena are deep in the third set in the quarters?

3. Anastasia Myskina: The French Open champ is seeded third, but she comes in on the heels of a bad loss. It's hard to see her making it to the semis. There are few dangerous opponents in her immediate vicinity, but does she survive a quadrant with Patty Schnyder, Tatiana Golovin and Elena Dementieva?

4. Maria Sharapova: The wide-open field provides an excellent opportunity to build on her stellar 2004. Mary Pierce -- her conqueror at the U.S. Open -- possibly lurks in Round Four, but unless Sharapova totally "goes walkabout," it's hard to imagine any player besides Svetlana Kuznetsova offering much resistance before the semis.

5. Svetlana Kuznetsova: The U.S. Open champ has been fairly quiet as of late. She's likely to play Vera Zvonareva and Sharapova in back-to-back matches -- winning both would make a real statement.

6. Elena Dementieva: Allegedly has been working on her serve. The rest of her game is rock solid and provided she recovers from her heat illness, she is a good bet to survive in her quadrant and reach the semis.

7. Serena Williams: In many ways, she is the most intriguing player in the draw. Is the '03 champ ready to get back to her winning ways after a disappointing '04? Or have "outside interests" supplanted tennis? For all her tired alibis and explanations and for all of the People magazine glam shots and movie A-list invites, it has to torque Serena that her tennis -- what she does best -- is slipping. Says here she's ready to start winning again.

8. Venus Williams: She is desperate for a strong Slam showing after a string of flameouts last year. She will get a stern test early against Eleni Daniilidou, but if she survives that, it's not hard to see her living up to her seeding.

9. Vera Zvonareva: Tears should flow in the fourth round when she faces countryman Kuznetsova.

10. Alicia Molik: Aussies have high hopes for their brightest female prospect in years. We love the big serve and flashy game and the generally tame draw. Big question: How will she handle the expectations?

11. Nadia Petrova: Game seems to have stagnated a bit, but Petrova is a terrific athlete, and all the shots are there. If the body is willing, she could give Serena a tight match in Round Four.

12. Patty Schnyder: The talented lefty lacks the power to win Majors, but she can make life miserable for the right opponents. She has a real chance to make another trip to the semis.

13. Karolina Sprem: The heavy-hitting Croat hasn't been on the radar much since Wimbledon. She ought to live up to her seeding, but it's hard to see her beating Davenport in Round Four.

14. Francesca Schiavone: The feisty Italian never quits fighting but lacks the weapons to be a real threat.

15. Silvia Farina Elia: As always you have to dispense props to her for sustaining such a high level well after her 30th birthday. But Grand Slam expiration is consistently in the third or fourth round.

16. Ai Sugiyama: We're thinking early upset here.

Seeds No. 17 to 32: Players to watch

17. Fabiola Zuluaga: Can she replicate last year's deep run?

20. Tatiana Golovin: Who wears short shorts? A year after her Melbourne breakthrough, the French teenager is a bona fide star.

21. Amy Frazier: Might this perennially overlooked player catch Mauresmo on an off day?

23. Jelena Jankovic: The best player you've never heard of, though not for long.

24. Mary Pierce: The days of winning Slams are in the past, but she ought to survive the first week.

27. Shinobu Asagoe: The Japanese veteran comes in on a roll.

Darkhorse nation

Dinara Safina: A low-grade version of big bro: wildly talented, wildly erratic.

Eleni Daniilidou: Always a favorite of the Melbourne Greek community. First-round match against Venus could be memorable.

Na Li: Soon to be replacing Jankovic as the best player you've likely never heard of before.

Jie Zheng: Another Chinese prospect to watch.

Anna-Lena Groenefeld: This teenager is a future top 10er.

Nicole Vaidisova: Can the 15-year-old stave off a sophomore slump after a tremendous rookie season?

Samantha Stosur: The Aussie veteran has turned in strong results to start '05. Too bad she begins against Mauresmo.

Jessica Kirkland: Assuming she qualifies, this Ohioan has been playing terrific tennis in the past few months.

First-round matches to watch

Stosur vs. Mauresmo: Stosur comes in on a hot streak. If Mauresmo starts flat, this could get interesting.

Maggie Maleeva vs. Magui Serna: "Mag special" between two savvy veterans.

Davenport vs. Martinez: It's not often two former Wimbledon champs face off in Round One.

Venus vs. Daniilidou: A real breakthrough opportunity for the Greek bearing gifts. On the other hand, a solid win will be a real boost to Venus.

Doubles winners

Nadia Petrova and Meghann Shaughnessy

Semifinals

Davenport vs. Dementieva
Sharapova vs. Serena

Final

Davenport vs. Serena

Winner

Serena

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim covers tennis for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com.