Tennis: Top name tipped for women's Classic

The first big name for January's international women's tennis tournament in Auckland will be revealed this morning.

ASB Classic organisers are expected to announce a top-10 player for the January 2-7 event.

They've already secured defending champion and world No 31 Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia and are confident two of this year's other three semifinalists - No 36 Japan's Shinobu Asagoe and No 43 Marion Bartoli of France - will be back.

Lips are sealed on the identity of the top-10 player but count out world No 1 Lindsay Davenport and her fellow American Venus Williams, No 2 Maria Sharapova of Russia, Belgians Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters and French player Amelie Mauresmo, who have commitments elsewhere.

The Classic, a tier-four event with a purse of US$140,000 ($199,439), clashes with an exhibition event in Hong Kong, the Hopman Cup in Perth and the tier-three Uncle Toby tournament on the Gold Coast.

The most likely candidates for a video linkup this morning are Russians Elena Dementieva - beaten finalist at the French and US Opens last year and a former world No 4 - or Nadia Petrova, who are ranked 8th and 10th respectively, or Swiss Patty Schnyder, the world No 9. The other possibility is No 5-ranked Frenchwoman Mary Pierce, a past visitor to Auckland whose career has taken a rapid turn for the better this year, highlighted by making the French and US Open finals.

Whoever it is, will be a big boost for a tournament which this year failed to attract a player inside the top 25. The full draw will be released late next month.