The last two champions are here, along with one of the game's big names. Look for these players to make an impact next week.
Jelena Dokic
(Yugoslavia)
One of the most gifted young players on the circuit, much of Dokic's career has been played out in the spotlight - and not always for tennis reasons.
Born in Belgrade, she switched her allegiance to Australia, then back to Yugoslavia again, her career falling in behind the erratic behavior of her father Damir.
Through all that, her talent was not in doubt. Now settled and getting her game in order, the 20-year-old, who turned pro in 1998, could be poised for a big year.
She already has five WTA singles and four doubles titles to her credit. She has been a beaten singles finalist on seven other occasions and her world ranking reached No 4 in August-September 2002.
Shot to prominence in 1999 when, as a qualifier, she toppled world No 1 Martina Hingis in the first round at Wimbledon, on her way to making the last eight. She became the lowest-ranked player to beat the top seed in the Open era.
A semifinal appearance on the hallowed grass a year later seemed to mark her out as a grand slam title contender, but since then her best result was a quarter-final spot at Roland Garros in 2002.
The world No 15, the second seed here, Dokic is a strong title chance.
Paola Suarez
(Argentina)
The Argentine is the tournament top seed, the world's No 14 singles player and top-ranked doubles exponent, and in the prime of her career.
In the past year only eight players have made more money on the WTA circuit than the US$1,050,691 the 26-year-old from Pergamino has bagged.
She forms the world's top doubles partnership with Spaniard Virginia Ruano Pascual, who is also here next week.
In 2003 they won four doubles titles, including the US Open, the most recent of their four grand slam doubles crowns. They were named the WTA doubles team of the year for 2002.
Suarez, who can chalk up 30 doubles titles altogether, has three WTA singles titles to her name - Bogota in 1998 and 2001, and Vienna last year. She lost in the quarter-finals to eventual winner Daniilidou in Auckland last year in three sets.
In last year's grand slams, her best result was the quarter-finals at the US Open, the first Argentine woman to get that far since Gabriela Sabatini in 1995.
Eleni Daniilidou
(Greece)
Greek tennis heroes or heroines are thin on the ground, but the defending champion is the latest player to carry the nation's hopes.
The strapping 1.82m, 72kg Daniilidou picked up her second career WTA title at Stanley St - saving two match points on her way to beating Korea's Yoon Jeong Cho in three sets - after winning the s'Hertogenbosch title in the Netherlands in 2002.
The Auckland win gave her year perfect impetus and a few days later she equalled her best grand slam result, reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open, losing to top seed Serena Williams.
At the same event, she reached the mixed doubles final with Australian pairs maestro Todd Woodbridge. But they lost to 46-year-old Martina Navratilova and her Indian partner Leander Paes in straight sets. It was the 57th title of Navratilova's remarkable career - and 29 years after her first.
In 2002, Daniilidou progressed to the fourth round at Wimbledon, before losing to third seed Jennifer Capriati.
In May her world ranking rose to 14, before slipping back. However, she has been in the singles field for all of the last 10 grand slam events, only twice losing in the first round. Only one player has successfully defended her Auckland title and Daniilidou will fancy her chances of following in American Patty Fendick's footsteps.
Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi
(Israel)
A winner here in 2002, Smashnova-Pistolesi was born in Minsk, but moved to the hyphened name when she married former player Claudio Pistolesi at the end of that year.
That 2002 victory, over Russian Tatiana Panova, led straight to another title in Canberra a week later, beating top seed Tamarine Tamasugarn on a run of 10 successive wins, improving her world ranking by more than 30 places in the process.
It was a breakthrough year, as she went on to bag titles in Vienna and Shanghai, moved into the world top 20 for the first time, and she could boast of wins over top-10 players Justine Henin-Hardenne, Kim Clijsters and Dokic.
Last year there were wins at Sopot and Helsinki.
Since turning pro in 1991, she has has eight WTA singles titles to her name.
A baseliner whose best shot is her backhand, Smashnova-Pistolesi has yet to make a mark in the grand slams.
So far her best result in nine years of trying is a fourth-round appearance at Roland Garros in 1995. Her best effort last year was making the third round at the Australian Open.
Now a respected player on the circuit, with enough scalps over the big names to warrant plenty of respect. Made the semifinals in Auckland last year before retiring in frustration with leg cramps against Korea's Yoon Jeong Cho.
Marion Bartoli
(France)
Unseeded but far from unfancied to make her mark in the years ahead. The French-born, Geneva-based 19-year-old turned pro in February 2000, and broke into the top 100 a year ago.
Dipped her toes in the grand slam world at Roland Garros in 2001, where, as a wildcard, she lost in straight sets to Colombian Catalina Castano. Her best result at the Big Four was in 2002 at the US Open where she made the third round.
Her first-round victim was former world No 1 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. Trailing 0-3, she reeled off 12 of the next 13 games to win 6-3, 6-1 before losing to Lindsay Davenport. In 2001 Bartoli won the US Open, Australian Hardcourt Championships and Victorian Championships at junior level.
At 1.70m and 58kg, Bartoli is not the biggest player on the circuit but certainly has a bright future. She is 39th on the money-winners list last year with US$274,586.
The last French singles winner in Auckland was Julie Halard-Decugis, in 1999. Bartoli may not emulate her countrywoman next week - but keep an eye on the name in the coming year.
Ashley Harkleroad
(United States)
The player American fans have their fingers crossed for as they look for the Next Big Thing in the women's game.
Andy Roddick has the men's court covered, but does Harkleroad have the game to take over in time from the Williams' sisters?
An 18-year-old from Rossville, Georgia, this is Harkleroad's second trip to Auckland.
Last year, as a qualifier, she made an impact, tipping out fourth seed and former champon Anne Kremer 6-3, 6-0 in the first round. She held a match point against Emmanuele Gagliardi before losing a third-set tiebreak in the next round.
In April, as a wildcard and then world No 101, she beat three top-20 players on her way to the semifinals at Charleston, before losing to Justine Henin-Hardenne.
Her best grand slam performance came at Roland Garros last year, a 3-hour upset over ninth seed Daniela Hantuchova in the third round helping her to a career-high No 39.
She reached the 2002 junior final at Roland Garros, won the 2001 Wimbledon junior doubles title and was a singles semifinalist in the Australian and French junior opens that year.
Harkleroad got the nickname "Pebbles" when living in Flintstone, Georgia. Still to win a WTA title, but if ambition counts, she won't die wondering. She lists her tennis aspiration as becoming a 'top 10 pro with an eye on No 1".
ASB Classic related links
Tennis: Six contemporaries for a Classic
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