Melbourne Summer Set 1 2022: Women's singles draw analysis, preview & prediction

Melbourne Summer Set 1, one of two WTA events being held simultaneously at Melbourne Park, is scheduled to commence on January 4. The WTA 250 tournament has a 32-player field and serves as a warm-up for the Australian Open later this month.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka is the top seed, followed by fomer World No. 1 Simona Halep. World No. 31 Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova round out the top four seeds.

On that note, here's a look how the draw might unfold.

Top half: Naomi Osaka makes much-awaited return

Naomi Osaka arrives in Australia for the Melbourne Summer Set.

Seeded players: (1) Naomi Osaka, (3) Veronika Kudermetova, (5) Liudmila Samsonova and (8) Katerina Siniakova

Expected semifinal: Naomi Osaka vs Veronika Kudermetova

Dark horse: Anastasia Potapova

Analysis: Top seed Naomi Osaka will return to the court after a prolonged hiatus. The Japanese has not featured since her third-round exit from the 2021 US Open.

Osaka's first-round opponent is Alize Cornet. If she gets the better of the Frenchwoman, the Japanese will face either Petra Martic or Maryna Zanevska in the second round.

If Osaka reaches the quarterfinals, her most likely opponent would be Luidmila Samsonova. The Russian opens against former top 10 player Andrea Petkovic, who is set to retire this year. Samsonova could potentially face Clara Burel or Zhang Shuai in the second round.

Katerina Siniakova at the 2021 WTA Finals.

Third seed Veronika Kudermetova is the next highest seed in this section of the draw. She's a strong contender to reach the last eight, given the fact she's landed in a relatively straightforward section of the draw. Kudermetova will face a qualifier in the opening round, followed by either Madison Brengle or another qualifier.

Katerina Siniakova, meanwhile, will begin her campaign against a qualifier. A win would earn her a meeting against either Anastasia Potapova or wildcard Lizette Cabrera in the second round, ahead of a potential quarterfinal clash with Kudermetova.

Semifinal prediction: Liudmila Samsonova def. Veronika Kudermetova

Bottom half: Alison Riske, Tereza Martincova look to take down Simona Halep

Simona Halep at the 2021 Linz Open.

Seeded players: (2) Simona Halep, (6) Viktorija Golubic, (7) Tereza Martincova and (9) Alison Riske

Expected semifinal: Simona Halep vs Viktorija Golubic

Dark horse: Kaia Kanepi

Analysis: Simona Halep will be looking to put a disappointingas1 behind her when she kicks off her new season at the Melbourne Summer Set. An injury forced her to miss Roland Garros and Wimbledon last year, ending her lengthy stay in the top 10 of the WTA rankings.

She made her comeback at the Canadian Open, where she lost in the first round. She reached her first final of 2021 at the Transylvania Open, where she lost to Anett Kontaveit. The following week she reached the semifinals at the Linz Open, but withdrew because of an injury.

Halep will begin her campaign at the Melbourne Summer Set against a qualifier followed by a second-round match against either compatriot Elena-Gabriela Ruse or wildcard Arina Rodionova. If the seeds hold, she will face Viktorija Golubic in the quarterfinals.

Ninth seed Alison Riske is the favorite to make the quarterfinals from her section of the draw. She'll take on veteran Vera Zvonareva in her opening-round match.

Tereza Martincova is the other seeded player in this section and will face off against Ana Konjuh in the first round. The winner of that match will take on either Kaia Kanepi or Jaqueline Cristian for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Semifinal prediction: Simona Halep def. Alison Riske

Prediction for the final: Simona Halep def. Liudmila Samsonova