Tennis: Radwanska, Spaniard to play again in Auckland

Agnieszka Radwanska is coming back to play at the ASB Classic in Auckland. Photo / AP

Two former champions are returning to Auckland for next year's ASB Classic tennis tournament.

Agnieszka Radwanska, who has been ranked as high as No2 in the world and is 11th on the WTA rankings, will be coming back to Stanley St for the first time since she swept the field in 2013 to win the title, beating Yanina Wickmayer in the final.

Joining the Pole will be Roberto Bautista-Agut, who won the men's title in 2016 but was unable to defend his crown this year due to a virus.

Radwanska has been a perennial top 10 player since 2009. The diminutive Pole, who reached the 2012 Wimbledon final, has had a strong finish to this year, reaching the last four in New Haven and Tokyo and winning the lucrative Premier Mandatory event in Beijing, the highest tier of WTA tournaments below the grand slams.

"I have never lost in Auckland so I have very good memories," said Radwanska. "It always amazes me that the crowds are full right from the start. You don't get that at a lot of tournaments and makes it a great place for us to play."

Next year will mark Spaniard Bautista-Agut's sixth appearance in Auckland. Aside from his 2016 title, he also reached the semifinals in 2014.

The world No13 has already grabbed two titles this year (Chennai and Winston Salem), as well as three other semifinal appearances on the ATP tour.

ASB Classic tournament director Karl Budge confirmed he was expecting a strong field this year, adding Radwanska and Bautista-Agut were unlikely to be top seeds during their respective weeks.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's Marina Erakovic won her first round of the Quebec Challenge, beating qualifier Alla Kudryavtseva, 6-4, 6-1.