KEY POINTS:
Following hard on the heels of female number one Marina Erakovic's successful debut on the grand slam scene in Paris, the sport's local administrators will today announce a significant boost in the status of the ASB Classic.
The women's game has been on a high since former world
number one Lindsay Davenport smashed and smiled her way to the title - and Erakovic battled bravely to the semis - before record crowds in January.
A boost from a $500,000 donor - whose identity is revealed today - along with changes to the WTA calendar and tournament rules could see players of Davenport's calibre gracing these shores on an annual basis.
Gone is Auckland's Tier IV status and with it the restrictive rule that prevented the tournament from wooing top-10 players.
That rule, which resulted in nonsense situations such as 2007 champion and current world number three Jelena Jankovic being prevented from returning to defend her title last year, was considered the greatest impediment to hosting a successful event.
It effectively ruled out the game's biggest drawcards, restricting the tournament to a cast of young hopefuls, mid-grade veterans and Kiwi wildcards.
The boost provided by Davenport's appearance this year was an ample demonstration of what star quality can do for an event. Of course, being allowed to woo the superstars and actually getting them through Auckland airport's arrivals lounge are two different matters, but the Classic has also received a boost on that front, with its prize money being upped from US$145,000 ($184,000) to US$225,000.
More importantly, it will also offer the same ranking points as the other 33 tournaments that make up the second tier of the 55-tournament calendar.
The changes place the tournament on the same footing as its direct competitor, Brisbane, which previously enjoyed a massive advantage in recruitment due to the greater ranking points and prize money. Now, with both tournaments on the same rung, Auckland will be able to compete on an equal footing for the right to host the game's glamour pusses in the build-up to the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Designed with player welfare in mind, the new WTA calendar - dubbed the "Roadmap to 2010" but actually introduced a year earlier - resulted in the culling of nine tournaments and the rescheduling of many others.
There was no guarantee Auckland would survive, let alone retain its prized season-opening slot in January. That it has done both is a credit to its organisers and, of course, to the previously anonymous benefactor who stumped up US$500,000 to secure the tournament's WTA license.
The identity of that wealthy do-gooder will be revealed today, alongside an announcement that ASB is to continue its sponsorship of the event. With its place in the new calendar and financial backing secure, the Auckland event can look forward to a bright future.
From today that future will be in the hands of former professional player Brenda Perry, who takes over from Richard Palmer as tournament director.
It will be up to Perry to ensure the WTA's new pathway proves a route to further success for the game in this country.