Tennis: ASB Classic breaks ticketing records

Serena Williams pursues the ball against Karolina Pliskova at the US Open. Photo / Getty Images

The power of Serena Williams. Less than a week after announcing Williams will appear at the 2017 ASB Classic - tickets to both the final two days of the event have have completely sold out.

It is the first time in the tournament's 61-year history that the women's weekend has sold out prior to the men's while early stages of the women's ASB Classic are also almost at capacity.

ASB Classic tournament director Karl Budge is delighted to see strong support for the women's competition early on.

"The later stages of the women's event has always been very popular. However, this year has gone to new levels. We achieved a record for the most tickets sold in one day last Thursday and that momentum has continued over the weekend. Fans are coming from all over New Zealand and it is great to see so many people getting behind tennis", said Budge.

There is still hope for fans wanting to catch all of the stars in action at the ASB Tennis Arena. A limited number of premium corporate packages are still available.

With over 64,000 people attending the ASB Classic earlier this year, the highest in the tournaments history, the event continues to grow with 14 of 20 sessions being sold out in January.

However, with demand for 2017 tickets at an all-time high, Budge expects attendee numbers to surpass this years.

"We are in the process of signing some very strong players so we're very excited about the level of competition that we'll have on-court. I encourage people to purchase their tickets as soon as possible to avoid missing out."

Williams joins defending champion Robert Bautista Agut who has been confirmed to return to the ASB Classic to defend his title. More player signings will be announced in the coming weeks with the full men's and women's line-up to be announced late November.