Next year's Heineken Open is assembling one of the strongest fields in the tournament's history after it was confirmed world No 12 Tommy Haas and No 13 John Isner would be returning to Auckland.
The pair join world No 4 and three-time defending champion David Ferrer, No 20 Kevin Anderson from South Africa and crowd-pleasing Frenchman Gael Monfils as confirmed starters for the event which begins on January 6.
Haas has played at the Heineken Open three times previously, having been a beaten finalist in 1999 and his three-set defeat to Monfils in last year's quarter-finals ranks as one of the best matches in the tournament's history.
The 35-year-old German has enjoyed another good season, with his win in Munich his 14th career title, and he also reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and Indian Wells and the quarter-finals at the French Open. He peaked at No 2 in the world in 2002 and has amassed in excess of US$12 million in career earnings.
Isner has also played at the Heineken Open three times, winning the tournament in 2010 with a three-sets victory over Arnaud Clement. Standing at 2.08m, the 28-year-old American has one of the most powerful serves in the game and used it to good effect this year with two titles.
