Australian Open 2018: Profiling the dark horses

4) Caroline Garcia | Rank #8 (best Aus Open finish R3 2015 2017)

Caroline Garcia will most certainly look to give it her all at the Australian open 2018

My personal favourite, the very fearless hitting Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia has the weapons needed to drill and dig deep into the Australian Open.

Forced to retire in Brisbane at the start of this season due to back pain in the first round, the tearful Garcia is hoping that she will be completely fine to compete in Melbourne. Keeping the injury woes aside, the 24-year-old will look to continue her magical run that she showcased towards the end of 2017.

Winning back to back titles in Wuhan and Beijing, Garcia has been a portrait of sheer determination and guts. Qualifying for the WTA Finals in Singapore with this stellar run, she went to make it to the group and reach the semi-finals.

Enroute she kept trouncing big names, Elina Svitolina, Caroline Wozniacki, Petra Kvitova, Simona Halep, Dominika Cibulkova and Angelique Kerber in the season-ending event.

She has been living in the shadows for almost six years but 2017 has been pivotal in elevating her steadily upwards on the WTA spectrum.

Armed with this confidence, it should not be very difficult for Garcia to go the distance. And then we all know with Serena Williams not defending her title, the field is wide open.We can count on this Frenchwoman to be a major dark horse at the Australian Open.

Not sure if the predictions will work. But as we all countdown to the season Opening Major that will get underway from the 15th January in Melbourne, all I say is get ready for the mayhem and a fortnight of tennis extravaganza.