KEY POINTS:
Former World No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero has been confirmed for the Heineken Open. The Spaniard will join compatriots Nicolas Almagro and David Ferrer, who recently succumbed to Roger Federer in the final of the Masters Cup in Shanghai.
With Argentinians Guillermo Canas and Juan Monaco and Croatian Mario Ancic all hitting Auckland, the field is rich in quality.
Currently ranked 24th, Ferrero may not have been able to add to his career titles tally of 11 in 2007 but he still made the final of Costa Do Suipe, where he was beaten by Canas, and made an impact at numerous other events.
He was a semifinalist at Vienna, Acapulco and the Masters Series at Monte Carlo, where he beat Richard Gasquet but lost to Federer.
There were also quarter-finals at Stuttgart and at Wimbledon, where he lost to champion Federer in four sets, proving that despite being a former Roland Garros champion, he can handle grasscourts too.
He had the misfortune to play Federer three times in the later stages of events in 2007.
However, Ferrero has beaten Federer three times, including at the Heineken Open on court six in 2000, as both players, teenagers at the time, launched their careers.
Aside from his win on the clay at Roland Garros in 2003, there have been plenty of near misses in Grand Slams for Ferrero.
There was a runner-up finish at Roland Garros in 2002 and at the US Open in 2003, as well as semifinals at Roland Garros in 2000 and 2001 and the Australian Open in 2004.
The signing of Ferrero, who held the No 1 ranking in September 2003, means that six of the players announced so far are ranked inside the world's top 30.
Only Ancic, who has been recovering from injuries and is ranked at 85, is not in the top 30.
Twenty-two year old Almagro, ranked 28th in the world, adds more depth to the draw after yet another consistent year on the ATP circuit.
He defended his singles crown at Valencia, beating Pottito Starace in three sets in the final, and also made the final at Bastad, beating Carlos Moya in the semifinals before falling to Ferrer.
There was a semifinal appearance at Bueno Aires and four quarter-finals including two at Masters Series events - Hamburg, where he beat Tommy Robredo but lost to Lleyton Hewitt, and Cincinnati, where he defeated Ivan Ljubicic and Jarkko Nieminen but was beaten by Federer.
Leading the Spanish players will be defending champion Ferrer, who is sitting at a career-high ranking of No 5 after making the final at Shanghai recently.
Ferrer will be one of the highest-ranked seeds to take the court at Stanley St.
In 1999, Marcelo Rios was world No 2 when he played his first round match, while Guillermo Coria was No 5 in 2004.
"Juan Carlos is a popular player, returning to Auckland for the fourth time," said tournament director Graham Pearce.
"He continues to show he's one of the more competitive and consistent players around. His countryman Nicolas Almagro is a young Spanish player on the way up and has also had a solid year.
"Both Juan Carlos and Nicolas compliment the fact we have David Ferrer heading the field."
