KEY POINTS:
It's not often a sportsperson in the top couple of rankings in the world plays in New Zealand, but the KLRC US$50,000 ($85,200) New Zealand Open badminton tournament at the North Shore Events Centre can easily claim it has one of the best.
Hong Kong's Zhou Mi entered this week's Grand Prix event at No 3 in the world but then moved up to the top spot in the world rankings before just a few days ago being overtaken by Denmark's Tine Rasmussen who has a lead of three points.
If Zhou Mi, 29, is able to defend her title in Auckland she will retake the top world ranking, something she says might be a little difficult as she is trying to get over a dose of the flu.
"This competition is very important and it is important to be No 1. It is a major event," she said through an interpreter. "I'm not scared of not being able to get the ranking back. I'm confident I can win, but have to recover from the flu."
Zhou Mi recently won the Macau Open Gold Grand Prix, the China Masters Super-Series, the Indian Gold Grand Prix and the Korea Super-Series. This was all after she was not selected by China which led to a dispute and her retirement in 2005 before her return to the sport and a change of nationality last year.
Zhou Mi will play her first round singles match tonight against Southland's Anna Rankin. Also playing are, Sairul Amar Ayob of Malaysia, who won in 2005, and Tsuen Seng Lee, from Taipei, the 2006 champion. Ayob is ranked at 22 and is top seed while Lee is 32 in the world.
Waitakere's Dan Shirley, 27, a world championship bronze medallist in 2005 and silver medallist for New Zealand at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games is returning to top competition for the tournament after some time away from the sport.
His former doubles partner, John Gordon, is also playing top badminton again, teaming up with Shirley in the men's doubles. They were previously ranked in the top 10 in the world.
"I never really retired. I was just taking some time out. I will see how things go in this tournament and then maybe I might resume my playing career.
"I guess it's better than having a job and sitting behind a desk," says Shirley.
Another highly regarded player to come out of a short retirement is Australia's Kate Wilson-Smith who is teaming up with Kiwi singles No 1 John Moody to take part in a strong mixed draw.
The tournament is one of the few New Zealand sporting events to be broadcast live into nations such as China, Indonesia and Malaysia.
