Serena Williams: Why American Star Isn't Scared of No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki

Even though Serena Williams is only seeded 12th in this year's Australian Open, the one marquee opponent the dominant American shouldn't fear is top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki. Williams would crush her just like she's done each time in the past.

Wozniacki spent most of her abbreviated offseason working on a more aggressive style in hopes of being more competitive in matches against other top players. But she still doesn't have enough firepower to keep up with Williams, who is the tour's premier player, regardless of ranking.

Williams survived a match against Tamira Paszek on Day 2 despite a late start time and sluggish movement around the court. That's why Williams is far and away the best player on the women's tour—she can defeat inferior opponents even when she isn't in top form.

The same can't be said for Wozniacki, who often has to grind out victories. Those extended rallies eventually catch up with the Danish star during a two-week grand slam event, which helps explain why she hasn't won a major yet.

This is backed up by the numbers of each player's first match. Williams smacked 34 winners in her win while Wozniacki hit just 14, and that's even with her attempting to go for a few more big shots to finish points quickly.

It's even more evident when you look at the pair's head-to-head numbers. Williams holds a 3-0 edge and the last two haven't even been close.

Match point at last year's US Open (see below) is a perfect example of the difference between the two players. Williams blisters the ball on a return and Wozniacki just tries to flip it back but fails.

In the simplest terms, Wozniacki just can't keep up.

She's fallen into the same trap that has previously slowed the rise of Jelena Jankovic, among others. They can win a lot of matches against lower-tier players simply by serving as a backboard for shots until their opponent makes an unforced error.

Those same tactics don't work against Williams, Kim Clijsters or breakout performer Petra Kvitova, and Wozniacki isn't able to adjust her game to the quicker pace.

She deserves some credit for recognizing the problem and attempting to find a solution, but, judging from her first match, she still isn't prepared to knock off an elite big hitter.

Eventually, she's going to have to decide between maintaining her current status or retooling her entire game. While the latter choice would cause her to fade in the rankings for awhile, it would be her better long-term option. She doesn't seem willing to take that risk, though.

That means she isn't a threat. If the younger Williams sister was forced to develop a list of players she would least like to see in a potential final, Wozniacki probably wouldn't even be on it because she doesn't possess the weapons to beat her.

All told, there are a handful of players on tour who could give Williams a run for her money. It just so happens the world's No. 1-ranked player isn't one of them.