It's January, and that can only mean one thing — tennis.

Sure, the cricket's still on, but as soon as the crowd favourites from across the seas begin to arrive, the focus will quickly shift from the red to the yellow ball.

The Australian Open is, of course, the main event.

Local lead-in tournaments, the Brisbane International and the Hopman Cup, have handed out their silverware, with only the Sydney International still to come before Melbourne becomes tennis-central for another fortnight.

This year's field looks as strong as ever and despite a few injury worries in the women's competition it looks as though virtually every big star will be at Melbourne Park on the 16th of January.

Total prize money this year sits at a remarkable $25 million, which, while the Greenback and Euro are down the plunger, is a hefty payday for our overseas guests. The men's and women's tournament winners will each pocket a cool $2.3 million.

BackPageLead has taken a look at the top chances to take out the men's singles title (as well as a few smokeys) to see if we can steer you in the right punting direction.

Disagree? Leave a note in the comments, or tweet us at @BackPageLead with your thoughts — who do you think will be victorious in the 2012 Australian Open?

Novak Djokovic

The "Djoker" comes to Melbourne Park on the back of one of the most successful years in tennis history and eager to go back-to-back. A win this year would give him a third Norman Brookes Cup, which would put him behind only Andre Agassi and Roger Federer in terms of wins in the open era.

There are doubts Djokovic is yet to reach his form of 2011. The world number one has struggled in recent months and since the US Open his record has been patchy, at best, with a troublesome back muscle hampering his ability to play top-quality tennis. He'll come in as favourite, particularly given his record last year against other challengers, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, but is by no means guaranteed a smooth run.

BPL Tip: Winner

TABSportsbet: $2.35

Andy Murray

The Scotsman has a huge heart, and he'll need it if he's to win in Melbourne. Despite all the hype surrounding him, he's still managed to stumble badly in the final few days of each Grand Slam he's looked good in. Will this year's Open be his breakthrough? It's quite possible. He made the final four of three Slams last year, so at least we know Murray knows how to get there. He just needs to convert promise into titles.

Positive results in 2012 so far — winning in Brisbane for example — bodes well. For Murray it may just be a matter of overcoming the devil within to score that maiden Slam.

It's always hard to know with British players whether the crowd is on their side on or not. There's always a colonial positivity at Murray's matches, just like with great English hope Tim Henman before him, but then again, there's nothing Australians like seeing more than a Pom losing a sporting match. Well, maybe one thing: the loss being at the hand of an Australian. Don't count on that being the case this year, though.

BPL Tip: Runner-up

TABSportsbet: $7.00

Roger Federer

Federer is a crowd favourite at Rod Laver Arena (who can forget his tears after his loss in the 2009 final?) but he'll probably need all the help he can get to claim a remarkable fifth title. Fed-ex seems to be winding down of late but he's still able to produce tournament-winning tennis, when he's on. Increasingly though, more and more of the younger players seem to be getting on top of him.

That's not to say it's a mountain he can't climb — if anyone can, surely it's the Alpine maestro — but he'll need a bit of luck, his body to stay right, and a good draw to all be on his side for it to happen. It's doubtful he'd get knocked out before the semi finals, such is his prodigious talent, but he may no longer have the legs to take him any further.

BPL Tip: Semis

TABSportsbet $4.75

Rafael Nadal

Rafa is one of the best ever, and anyone who's seen him play up close will testify to the atmosphere his aura generates (particularly with a closed roof like the ones in Melbourne). You don't win ten Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal without that special something. The world number two put up good fights in all major tournaments last year, but managed to win only one Masters 1000 Series or Grand Slam event; compare that to the six he chalked up in 2010, and you have to question whether other players, and perhaps the Spaniard's body, are beginning to get the better of him.

The other question is over his recent rivalry with Novak Djokovic — he loses two matches in three against the Serb on hard courts, and last year Nadal went up against him in six finals and lost each and every one of them. That's not a stat you want going into a new year. Just imagine the mind games that must be in play.

BPL Tip: Semis

TABSportsbet $7.00

The Outsiders

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

The Frenchman finished 2011 strongly, losing the final of the season-ending World Tour Finals to Roger Federer back in November, despite entering in the sixth and final spot. He also had his best year after an injury-interrupted 2010, so should enter the Open with lots of confidence. His big hitting always troubles opponents, so look for Tsonga to make it deep into the second week.

BPL Tip: If the magnetic Frenchman can get the crowd on his side he could be the story of the tournament

TABSportsbet: $16

Marcos Baghdatis

We've loved the Cypriot ever since he made the final six years ago. He probably can't win, but if the huge posters hanging around Melbourne are anything to go by, where they've given him top promotional billing alongside Bernard Tomic and Rafael Nadal et al, he'll be sure to get more than his fair share of cosy, primetime slots on centre court to aid his way through.

BPL Tip: Support of the crowd alone could get him into the second week. After that, who knows?

TABSportsbet: $101

Andy Roddick

The big American's serve can get him out of even the toughest spots, so he's always in with a chance. He hasn't tasted glory at a top-rung ATP tournament for almost two years, and hasn't been able to add to his Grand Slam tally since his maiden win back in 2003. But, given a bit of luck, Roddick could make a play once more. In any long match — something Roddick seems drawn to over and again — look out for Channel 7 commentators memorialising his quarter final victory in 2003 against Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui, where Roddick eventually triumphed 21-19 in the final set.

BPL Tip: If his body's right and his serve is on, A-Rod could be a dangerous smokey

TABSportsbet: $101