Sports By HOWARD FENDRICH The Associated Press | Saturday, January 12, 2019, 12:05 a.m. Share this story FILE – In this Jan. 27, 2018, file photo, Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki celebrates after defeating Romania’s Simona Halep in the women’s singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia. Wozniacki will be defending a Slam title for the first time after winning in Melbourne a year ago. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill, File) When Serena Williams was at her best, there was never much doubt that she’d be the favorite at pretty much any tournament she entered. While she was off the tour becoming a mom, women’s tennis was as wide open as ever. Could the Australian Open, where play begins Monday (Sunday EST), end the recent run in which eight women divvied up the past two years’ worth of Grand Slam championships, the first time that had happened since the 1930s? ADVERTISING It began with Williams taking home her seventh title from Melbourne, and 23rd major singles trophy overall, in January 2017. The world didn’t know it at the time, but she was pregnant then; her daughter, Olympia, was born on Sept. 1 of that year. Williams didn’t return to Grand…