Despite nudges towards Venus Williams’ hamstring, it’s pretty obvious that the American comes into the first Grand Slam of the year as a heavy favourite for the Australian Open.

No mercy in Hong Kong: Although she graduated and launched her own clothing line late last year, Venus's Madrid absence seems to have starved a very determined Williams as she dominated both singles and doubles draws. She tamed Elena Dementieva in straight sets to make the final but the critical test for Venus was Maria Sharapova, who recently beat an in-form Anna Chakvetadze twice.

No one really knew which Venus would show up. But it was Wimbledon all over again, as she sent Maria packing. The win itself was impressive but the real substance was the way she did it. Her serve kept firing with immense power which clearly overwhelmed Sharapova. Exceptional depth, outstanding court coverage and dazzling conviction all played a part in a 6-4, 6-3 thrashing.

The win looks promising for a great Australian Open run, as Venus said: "It is very exciting, especially going into the Australian, playing so well against someone of  Maria's calibre." Venus acknowledged how important the warm-up tournament was, saying: "I knew I was playing well in practice, but a match is different. To have that competition makes a huge difference."

She also teamed up with Caroline Waziacki to claim the doubles title. The win is more than it seems, as Venus has said she wants to dominate the doubles circuit throughout 2008, including the Olympics and Grand Slams. So the American is broadcasting warnings for a third doubles title come the Australian Open.

Of course Venus has tough competition in this vital warm-up stage for the players. But the past has shown us that Serena Williams and Justine Henin seem to be the most likely competitors to match her form. Serena may have won the Hopman Cup but her progress there wasn’t as big as her older sister’s title run.