KEY POINTS:
The ASB Classic has attracted one of the strongest line-ups in years. The Herald profiles five players to watch.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT
Unseeded
Three-time Grand Slam winner Lindsay Davenport is the first No 1 ranked player - be it current or former - to take part in the tournament.
One of the biggest names ever to grace these shores, Davenport will not be seeded at the Classic because of a world ranking of 72 that is quickly recovering after she opted out of the game to give birth to son Jagger.
But the US star's presence in the draw will be regarded warily by the seeds, who could find themselves pitted against the tournament's class act as early as the first round.
Davenport first held the No 1 singles ranking in October 1998 and has held it for a total of 54 weeks.
The 31-year-old won the singles titles at the US Open 1998, Wimbledon 1999 and the Australian Open 2000 and has reached the quarter-finals or better at Grand Slams on a staggering 29 other occasions.
Her 53 career singles titles place her eighth equal alongside Monica Seles on the all-time title winners' list and the highest among current active players.
With close to US$22 million in career prize money, the winner's purse at Auckland won't be much of an incentive. She will, however, be keen to remain in the tournament as long as possible to build form for a tilt at the forthcoming Australian Open.
Her comeback since giving birth in September has been impressive. She has already picked up two titles, beating the likes of reigning Classic champion and world No 3 Jelena Jankovic along the way.
* * *
VERA ZVONAREVA
Top seed
A finalist the past two years in Auckland, the 23-year-old Russian is the top seed this year. WTA rules that exclude the world's top 10 ranked players from low prizemoney events like the Classic mean last year's winner Jelena Jankovic - who defeated Zvonareva in three sets - cannot return to defend her title.
That leaves Zvonareva, the world No 22, as the top seed.
She's certainly no slouch, having picked up five singles titles and earned over US$3 million ($3.9 million) in a seven-year pro career.
Once ranked ninth in the world, Zvonareva has a liking for Auckland, having picked up the doubles title two years ago alongside compatriot Elena Likhovtseva. Zvonareva may have top billing for the tournament but she'll play second fiddle to compatriot Maria Kirilenko in the glamour stakes. The 20-year-old second seed is among the most popular players with male spectators.
* * *
SACHA JONES
Wildcard
At 17 years, Jones is still young enough to be considered New Zealand tennis' next big thing. She's also old enough to begin delivering on that expectation.
That said, she is unquestionably the country's No 2 female player. Her two clashes with contemporary Marina Erakovic have both ended in one-sided defeats. The latest of those skirmishes was in August when Erakovic swept Jones aside 6-2 6-4 in the semifinals of a US$25,000 hardcourt tournament in Spain.
But Jones' progress has been rapid in recent times. A world ranking that this time last year was 745 is now 323. She has also been busy since her return to New Zealand, winning four tournaments including last week's New Zealand Residentials, and there are those who believe she will soon eclipse Erakovic. Both Kiwi tyros enjoyed glittering junior careers but the older Erakovic is vastly more experienced at senior level.
The Classic will be Jones' first taste of a full-blown WTA event. While it would be a major surprise if she was to progress beyond the first round, such a result is far from impossible.
* * *
MARINA ERAKOVIC
Wildcard
New Zealand's top-ranked player at 152, Erakovic has spent a year on the cusp of breaking through as a fully fledged WTA player.
When she beat American world No 90 Meilen Tu in the first round of this year's Classic, it seemed the step up from the second-tier ITF tour might happen sooner rather than later for the 19-year-old Croatian-born Kiwi.
But a season blighted by poor form, injury and a loss of confidence put the brakes on her progress.
A late form surge that included consecutive singles titles in Australia and a doubles title in Dubai rather rescued her season and restored her ranking to 152, so Erakovic heads back to Auckland brimming with confidence.
But her season record against top-100 ranked players was just 2-6. With the cut-off for the main draw at the classic originally set at 72 and unlikely to climb higher than the 80s, she'll need to improve on that record to make a splash in Auckland.
* * *
MICHAELLA KRAJICEK
Fourth seed
Until she wins a big tournament herself, 18-year-old Dutchwoman Krajicek will be always be billed as the sister of 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard.
That is perhaps a little unfair on a player ranked 33 in the world, with three WTA titles to her name and who has already made the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam (Wimbledon 2007).
After a superb junior career during which she won the US Open and was ranked number one, Krajicek also played a significant role in one of New Zealand tennis' brighter days of recent times, winning the 2004 US junior doubles title with Marina Erakovic.
The pair, who will link again at the Classic, have an undefeated doubles record as juniors. In 2004 they played in three tournaments as a doubles pair, winning them all.
