Tennis: Auckland Open lineup promises to be close contest

There will be no player out of the top draw of women's tennis but January's Auckland Open promises to be one of the more evenly contested tournaments of recent times.

Heavyweights Elena Dementieva and Lindsay Davenport proved a class apart in walking the last two ASB Classics but there should be no repetition of their untroubled title marches this time around.

Instead a field stacked with players ranked from the mid-teens to early 30s will be unveiled at today's official launch.

Baring an unlikely late swoop for a top-10 drawcard, Italian world No 12 Flavia Pennetta will be top seed. The next seven seeds will likely be inside the top 30 or close to it.

There will be no clear favourite although Aravane Rezai (ranked 26), the popular Frenchwoman defeated by Davenport in the 2008 final and by Dementieva in the semifinals this year, should be a strong challenger for the title.

Rezai, who has a singles record of 7-2 in Auckland, won her second career title, in Bali last month, defeating countrywoman Marion Bartoli in the final.

Bartoli, the world No 11 and 2006 Auckland champion, withdrew from that match injured and has not confirmed her plans for the new year. If fit she would be strong contender for a wildcard, one of which must be kept aside until shortly before the tournament to be possibly claimed by a top-ranked player.

The other two wildcards have been earmarked for Kiwis Sacha Jones and Marina Erakovic, who are both competing in Japan this week.

Also returning to Auckland is Israeli Shahar Peer (31), a player targeted by anti-war protesters at this year's tournament.

Others confirmed for event are Chinese star Li Na (15), and last year's beaten finalist Elena Vesnina, who has risen to 24 in the rankings after a strong year.

Russian glamour girl Maria Kirilenko (63) is also on an entry list that will likely have a cut-off point in the mid-70s.