Tennis: Two ex-champions in qualifiers for Classic

Anne Kremer won the ASB Classic in 2000.

Two former champions, a couple of finalists and a few former doubles winners will feature in the women's ASB Classic tennis qualifiers in Auckland next month.

Qualifying matches for the singles on December 31 and January 1 are free for spectators.

The main draw starts on January 2, with the finals scheduled for January 7.

The expected cut off for the 32 player draw will be around the 180 ranking. The draw is made up of 26 direct entrants, plus four New Zealand wildcards, yet to be announced, and two winners of $US25,000 ($NZ37,307) tournaments.

The winner of the 2000 tournament, Anne Kremer, of Luxembourg, will be in the qualifying, as will the winner the following year, American Meilen Tu. Neither player is likely to be seeded.

The two runners-ups of previous tournaments are Russian Tatiana Panova, ranked 89 and who was beaten in the 2002 final by Anna Smashnova, and American Ashley Harkleroad.

Harkleroad, 20 was beaten by Elen Daniilidou in the 2004 final and is currently ranked 120.

The doubles winners from 2004 Jelena Kostanic (Croatia) and Mervana Jugic-Salkic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) are returning and Abigail Spears (US), who shared the doubles title in 2003, will also try to qualify in singles.

Also on the list of qualifiers are 2002 French Open semifinalist Clarisa Fernandez, world junior No 1 Victoria Azarenka, 16 and of Belarus, and 18-year old Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak, who was ranked as high as No 3 in the world juniors earlier this year.

Players in the qualifying schedule (with current ranking):

88 - Kristina Brandi (Puerto Rico)
89 - Tatiana Panova (Russia)
102 - Jelena Kostanic (Croatia)
104 - Severine Bremond (France)
110 - Martina Muller (Germany)
111 - Shenay Perry (US)
115 - Camille Pin (France)
119 - Galina Voskoboeva (Russia)
121 - Meilen Tu (US)
125 - Mariya Koryttseva (Ukraine)
133 - Tzipora Obziler (Israel)
142 - Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic)
143 - Marie-Eve Pelletier (Canada)
145 - Victoria Azarenka (Belarus)
147 - Yvonne Meusburger (Austria)
149 - Clarisa Fernandez (Argentina)
155 - Se-Wei Hsieh (Taipei)
157 - Abigail Spears(US)
161 - Natalie Grandin (South Africa)
165 - Anne Kremer (Luxembour)
166 - Aleksandra Wozniak (Canada)
170 - Claudine Schaul (Luxembourg)
176 - Ryoko Fuda (Japan)
177 - Kathrin Woerle (Germany)
178 - Mervana Jugic-Salkic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), winner of $US25,000 Nantes tournament

* Kristina Barrois (Germany) winner of $US25,000 Bolton tournament.
* Sandra Kleinova (Czech Republic).

- NZPA