KEY POINTS:
Some of the world's most outstanding women's players will be in Auckland next week for the ASB Classic.
Jelena Jankovic - Serbia
Born: Feb 28, 1985, Belgrade
World ranking: 12
Height: 1.77m
Titles: 1 singles/1 doubles
Earnings: US$1.54 million
Tournament seeding: 1
Top seed on her second visit to Auckland, the strong, athletic Jankovic arrives with her highest world ranking - 12 - courtesy of a strong year.
Her only singles title was won in Budapest in 2004, but she reached the semifinals of the US Open this year, beating top tenners Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova along the way, before losing in three sets to Justine Henin-Hardenne.
Beaten on her only final appearance, in Los Angeles, by Dementieva, but a run of three straight tournaments in September-October, where she made the last four bumped her up the rankings.
Reached the last 16 at Wimbledon, losing to Myskina. Lost to defending champion Marion Bartoli in the quarter-finals of her previous visit to Auckland last year.
Anastasia Myskina - Russia
Born: July 8, 1981, Moscow
World rank: 16
Height: 1.74m
Titles: 10 singles/5 doubles
Earnings: US$5.58 million
Tournament seeding: 2
Only the third player to play in Auckland with a Grand Slam singles title under her belt, Myskina will be THE big crowd puller. Her first visit, having been recommended to come by her mate Elena Likhovtseva.
Myskina won the French Open in 2004 and was the first Russian to win a Grand Slam singles, the first in the world top five and, at one point, reached No 2. Aiming to use Auckland as a stepping-stone to regaining place in the top 10. Seven of her 10 singles titles came in 2003-4, during which she was something of a trailblazer.
Was the linchpin in Russia's first Fed Cup victory, also in her golden 2004 year. In matches against the other seven seeds, has lost just once in 16 outings, to compatriot Zvonareva - and that was three years ago. Psychologically should have the wood on them. Now over a toe injury which cut her current campaign short.
Marina Erakovic - NZ
Born: March 6, 1988 Split
Ranking: 162
Height: 1.75m
Titles: 5 ITF singles
Earnings: US$52,000
Wildcard entry
New Zealand's best player has made good progress this year. Having been among the world's leading juniors, she made big strides on the WTA rankings and became just the fifth New Zealand woman to crack the world's top 200, after Belinda Cordwell, Pavlina Nola, Julie Richardson and Claudine Toleafoa.
Erakovic won three ITF singles titles in the Netherlands, Melbourne and Beijing during a golden four-tournament run from early September until late October.
But along the way she had to battle a shoulder injury and late-season food bug. Won her first Classic singles match in 2005, beating Canadian Marie-Eve Pelletier. Missed this year's event.
Neat stroke-maker who thinks her way through points rather than blasts away on court. Depending on her draw, she has a good chance to make the second round. A big year lies in prospect.
Daniela Hantuchova - Slovakia
Born: April 23, 1983, Poprad
World ranking: 17
Height: 1.81m
Titles: 1 singles/8 doubles
Earnings: US$4.12 million
Tournament seeding: 4
One of the circuit's glamour figures, there is a touch of the unfulfilled potential about Hantuchova.
Her sole singles crown came at Indian Wells four years ago and she's made the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam event three times. This is her second visit to Auckland, having made the semifinals last January, losing to beaten finalist Zvonareva.
Hantuchova reached the last 16 in three of the four Grand Slams and lost her only final appearance of the year, to Maria Sharapova at Zurich in October. Elegant with classy ground strokes. A decent winning chance. She has swapped rankings with defending champ Marion Bartoli, now No 18, since entering the Classic, and might be bumped up to third seed today.
Vera Zvonareva - Russia
Born: September 7, 1984, Moscow
World ranking: 24
Height: 1.72m
Titles: 5 singles,
4 doubles
Earnings: US$2.84 million
Tournament seeding: 5
The beaten finalist in Auckland last January, it's been a good year for the Muscovite, who won singles titles in Birmingham and Cincinnati in June-July, to go with four doubles crowns.
En-route to the Cincinnati title, she whipped next week's top seed Jelena Jankovic 6-1, 6-1 and Serena Williams in the semifinals. She won the Auckland doubles title with compatriot Elena Likhovtseva but top of the pairs' pile was winning the US Open with Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy, who is also here next week.
Zvonareva also won her second Grand Slam mixed doubles title at Wimbledon, with Israeli Andy Ram. Her singles ranking zoomed up from No 78 in June. Further improvement anticipated this year.
Martina Muller Germany
Born: October 11, 1982, Sehnde, Germany
World ranking: 34
Height: 1.65m
Titles: 1 singles/1 doubles
Earnings: US$613,000
Tournament seeding: 6
A late arrival in the field and one of 2006's big rankings climbers. Muller was on the original entry list, then withdrew when she was named for the Hopman Cup in Perth next week.
However compatriot Nicolas Kiefer had to withdraw with an injury, so Muller got on the blower again. Her ranking, which is at its career-high spot, got her straight into the main draw - and as sixth seed to boot. Her only singles title was in Budapest four years ago, the same year she won her solitary doubles title to date, at s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
Won four ITF singles titles this year, during which she contested 32 events. Her end-of-year ranking jumped from No 109 a year ago. Muller is a baseliner, with a double-handed backhand her best shot. Her fifth visit to Auckland, her best result was making the last 16 in 2003.
