New Zealand No 1 Marina Erakovic has been ousted in the first round of the ASB Classic for the past three years but she has a good chance of at least progressing to the second round this week after being drawn against a qualifier in her first match.
The world No 66 was handed the favourable match-up at this afternoon's draw at Stanley St. She won't know who she will play until the qualifying tournament is completed tomorrow. The tournament starts on Monday.
If Erakovic can get through her first-round match, she's likely to face a much tougher second-round opponent in defending champion and world No 26 Zheng Jie. Erakovic's best result at the tournament was in 2008 when she beat the top seed Vera Zvonareva, who went on to become world No 2, on her way to the semifinals.
This year's top seed and world No 4 Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) will play Kristina Mladenovic from France, second seed Julia Goerges (Germany) will also play a qualifier and 2010 ASB Classic champion and third seed Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) will play Magdalena Rybarikova from Slovakia.
Draw for the US$235,000 ASB Classic tennis tournament starting at Stanley St, Auckland, on Monday
