Melbourne VIC, Australia, 16 January 2015 | AAP

Samantha Stosur will launch her Australian Open campaign against Romania’s world No.46 Monica Niculescu.

With just one win this summer, 20th-seeded Stosur could have fared much better as she bids to venture beyond the fourth round at Melbourne Park for the first time in 13 attempts.

Australia’s only other seed this year, Casey Dellacqua, faces Austrian Yvonne Meusburger while Jarmila Gajdosova has drawn Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru.

Women’s world No.1 Serena Williams will open against Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck, while second seed Maria Sharapova drew a qualifier on Friday.

Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka, unseeded after an injury-hit 2014, will take on American Sloane Stephens in a spicy rematch of their niggly semi-final two years ago.