KEY POINTS:
Monday can't roll round soon enough for Auckland tennis officials.
By then they expect to have received the WTA's plans for rejigging its circuit from 2009, and the signals are strong that the ASB Classic will be on the programme.
At the time of the Classic in the first week of January, there were fears that it might be squeezed out amid spiralling financial demands from the WTA and bad vibes that a rich event in Doha in the same week would have a devastating effect on Auckland's ability to attract a quality field.
However, after discussions with WTA officials, and an apparent watering down of their demands to tournaments if they wanted to stay on the circuit, Classic director Richard Palmer is happy with the situation.
WTA officials are in Miami this week to finalise developments.
The terms for next year's Classic won't change - that is, top 10 players are off limits, but there is scope for several in the No 10-20 bracket to play in Auckland. Four were here last January, and one of them, Serb Jelena Jankovic, who is now world No 9, won the title.
But from 2009, the prize money will be up to US$225,000 ($318,700) from US$145,000; a franchise fee of US$450,000 must be paid to the WTA, but the effect of the Doha tournament has been reduced, as it will have a 32-player field not the anticipated 56; and the Classic will be able to entice a top 10 player. The Hong Kong exhibition event has been wiped. That means Auckland will compete with the Gold Coast and Doha - three 32-player draws - for the first week in January.
"This weekend we get the final terms of reference and then we go back to them and say yes, we can do it financially and we're happy to operate under the rules they've set down," Palmer said. "On the finance side, things are moving along. There are people who don't want this tournament to disappear. I'm pretty confident as to where it's at."
