Queen Wen leads the charge Down Under

Boasting a similarly aggressive baseline game and powerful serves, Zheng and Sabalenka have met five times overall, and the Belarusian three-time major winner has claimed victory every time.

Elsewhere in the women's draw, six other Chinese players, including the country's second-highest ranked ace Wang Xinyu (No 37) and wildcard entry Zhang Shuai, will also be making their own breakthrough bids in Melbourne, where Chinese players have traditionally performed better than at the other Slams, thanks in part to the strong support of the local Chinese community.

Wang, who suffered a first-round exit last year, opens with a tough test against 11th seed Paula Badosa of Spain, while veteran Zhang, who clinched a main-draw entry by winning the wild-card playoffs in November, sets up an intriguing rematch against McCartney Kessler after beating the 67th-ranked American at the China Open in September to end a 24-match losing streak.

In the men's tournament, a surging Chinese trio, comprising world No 47 Zhang Zhizhen, teen sensation Shang Juncheng (No 50) and rising star Buyunchaokete (No 65), is expected to continue demonstrating China's greater balance in the sport, as they each attempt to keep pace with their female counterparts through deep runs in the draw.

It will be no easy task, though, in the highly competitive and physically demanding men's game.

Zhang opens his third straight main draw campaign in Melbourne against Norway's 13th seed Holger Rune, while Shang aims to chalk up a first "W" in his third attempt facing Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round, following two losses to the Spaniard last year.