Tennis: Best-ever field promises top action at men's open

Picking the winner at next month's Auckland men's tennis open will not be easy after a field stacked with players in the world's top 30, but lacking a genuine superstar, was unveiled yesterday.

David Nalbandian, the former world No 3 who is on the comeback trail from hip surgery and will require a wildcard to get into the event, is the closest thing to a top draw in the field.

Nalbandian's presence as a floater in an extremely even draw, which sees all eight seeds drawn from within the world's top 32, should add an extra level of intrigue to a wide open event, said Heineken Open tournament director Richard Palmer.

The cut-off point for the seeds was a record for the event that even topped rival tournament Sydney, Palmer said.

The top four singles seeds - Tommy Robredo, David Ferrer, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Nicolas Almagro - are all Spaniards, while German fifth seed Philipp Kohlscheiber and unseeded American John Isner will also be strong contenders for the title.

"We've never had 11 players from the top 36 in the world, it just hasn't happened," Palmer said. "So we have exceptional depth. Pick a winner out of that, it's very difficult to do. The depth to me is just brilliant.

"You potentially have players in the top 30 who aren't even seeded playing players in the top 20 in the first round, there are a lot of tournaments around the world who would kill for that."

Reigning champion Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro had pledged to return but his elevation to the ranks of Grand Slam winner at this year's US Open pushed his demands beyond what the Auckland tournament could afford.

"There is no del Potro this year, we have known that for quite a while," Palmer said. "You always try to get someone like that and, maybe next year. But failing that you've got to look at what sort of depth you can get and can we get some new faces?"

The most prominent of those new faces will be top-ranked doubles pair Bob and Mike Bryan, the American brothers with 56 titles to their names, including seven Grand Slams.

As well as earning a bonus should they claim the doubles title, the brothers, who play in a band, will be encouraged to perform at the event-ending concert to be headlined by Anika Moa. "The Bryans are something New Zealanders haven't seen before," Palmer said. "Their rock'n'roll brand of tennis will create an atmosphere around the tournament."