THERE is a lovely photograph on the wall inside the media centre at the Australian Open from last year’s final, when a vanquished but smiling Serena Williams is showing the champion, Angelique Kerber, what to do in the trophy ceremony.

Having added the US Open title to her Melbourne crown, Kerber returns to the Australian Open as the world No 1, confident of her chances but well aware of the dangers of a wounded Williams.

What spurs Williams on, at the age of 35, is the prospect of more Grand Slam titles, with just one more required to break the Open era record of 22 she shares with Steffi Graf.

Predictably, the American steered clear of questions about the record itself, but it’s clear what continues to motivate her, 18 years after she won the first of her Grand Slam titles at the US Open.

“I’m not talking about that,” she said. “I’m just here to play and to win obviously, but just to play.”

Wimbledon was Williams’ lone Grand Slam triumph in 2016, though she did reach the final in Melbourne.

“For me, it wasn’t a great season,” she said. “I think for other people it would have been wonderful. For me, it wasn’t. It was what it was. I’m still hitting.”

Having missed the last two months of last year to recover from injury, Williams returned to the Tour in Auckland at the start of 2017, only to lose to unheralded American Madison Brengle. It was a shocking loss, but Williams has proved her critics wrong numerous times and is well capable of winning a seventh Australian Open title.

“I always go out there and all I can do is do my best,” she said. “I didn’t come here to lose in the first round, or the second round, or at all. If I can play the way I’ve been practicing, it will be fine.”

She will need to be close to her best soon, as Williams’ first opponent is Belinda Bencic, the hugely talented 19-year-old Swiss who is back after injury. Bencic had just broken into the top 10 last February when she suffered a series of injuries that kept her out for much of the year.

But the Swiss is fit again, and has beaten Williams in Canada in 2015 in one of their two previous meetings.

“She’s had a good win over me,” Williams said. “It’s never easy for me. I know she’s been playing well, so it will be good for both of us. But I’ve been spending so much time on the court. It feels really good to be back, just hitting on Rod Laver, hitting on all the stadiums, it’s a good feeling.

“I love it here. It’s such a great tournament for me, so it feels really good.

Bencic, ranked 48, but as high as No 7 before her injuries, will go into the clash with nothing to lose.

“My first reaction was actually really happy,” a smiling Bencic said. “So I think I’m super pumped, excited that I get to play on the big court, I guess.

“Everyone is like, ‘oh, bad luck with the draw’. Me, I’m pretty happy and excited about it. It’s a big match, playing against Serena Williams. It’s what everyone’s working for. To play Australian Open, first round, but that’s how it is. I’m just pumped about it.”

Outside of the top two, the women’s draw looks wide open, particularly in the absence of Victoria Azarenka (motherhood) and Petra Kvitova, the Czech who is recovering from a hand injury inflicted by after being attacked by an intruder in her home.

Third seed Agnieszka Radwanska and No 4 Simona Halep will both believe they can win their first Grand Slam title, but Britain’s Jo Konta has as good form as any of the outsiders. Konta’s victory over Radwanska in the Sydney final on Friday gave her a second WTA Tour title and Andy Murray is among those who think she could go further than her semi-final run here last year.

The Scot watched some of Konta’s matches in Sydney, where Dan Evans last night lost in the men’s final and where his brother Jamie was beaten in the final of the doubles.

Konta switched coaches at the end of last year and also has had to cope with the sudden death of her psychologist, Juan Coto, a man she credited for helping her reach the heady height of the top 10.

But Murray believes Konta is well-equipped to handle everything that is thrown at her as she eyes what would be a remarkable first Grand Slam title.

“When you get to the latter stages is when you tend to start to feel more pressure, when you feel you are closer or there is an opportunity to win a grand slam, but I don’t see why she can’t right now.

“There is a bit of uncertainty at the top of the women’s game now. She is playing the best tennis of her life, she is probably confident after the way she finished last year.

“She had a tough off-season, with a change of coach and her psychologist passing away.

“She seems to have started this year pretty well, and there is no reason why she can’t go deep in this event if she plays well.”