Sampras holds the record for Grand Slam wins

Today, people argue that with 13 Grand Slam wins, Pete Sampras is the finest player ever to walk on to a tennis court.

And while the American has stayed at the top in a much more competitive era, Laver can point to one or two statistics.

Winning on the red clay of Roland Garros on two occasions, the Australian completed the Grand Slam twice, something that has proved beyond Sampras.

'Rod Laver Arena'

Laver did it in 1962 and 1969. During five of the intervening years the Australian did not play in the majors as he had turned professional, only returning when the Open era started in 1969.

Nobody knows what he would have won had he remained an amateur, but as it is he reached the final of the six Wimbledons he entered, a record only equalled by Bjorn Borg.

Laver will be remembered more than ever at Melbourne Park this year.

It was such an honour when they told me that Centre Court would be renamed

Rod Laver

Australian hopes will be with Lleyton Hewitt

In those days the women's tournament was held at a different time and only 3,500 were in the crowd to see him beat Spain's Andres Gimeno in the 1969 final.

But no Australian has won the event since John Newcombe in 1975, although Pat Cash reached the final in 1987 and 1988.

This year home hopes will be high, with Rafter and Hewitt in with a good chance of victory.

Mark Philippoussis would have been a tough contender too but for injury.

Hewitt, still only 19, went into last year's tournament with almost the whole nation expecting him to lift the trophy.

He had won the warm-up events in Adelaide and Sydney but the hysteria seemed to get to him and he went out in the last 16 to Magnus Norman in straight sets.

But a year on he is a wiser and more complete player, a fact shown by his run to the last four at the US Open and a final Champions Race position of seven.

If Hewitt or any of the other Aussies reach the final in Melbourne this year, one thing's for sure - there'll be more than 3,500 people watching it.