Tennis: Dokic confirmed for ASB classic

ASB Classic women's tennis tournament officials today confirmed the entry of the controversial Jelena Dokic for the event in Auckland.

Dokic, ranked 15th in the world, is the third top-20 player signed for the tournament on January 5-10.

Earlier signings were world No 14 Paola Suarez, of Argentina, and world No 16 Anna Smashnova Pistolesi, of Israel.

Dokic was ranked as high as No 4 just over a year ago and she is to appear in the Australian Open, also in January, for the first time in two years.

Dokic, 17, earlier this month ended her self-imposed exile from Australia, a country she represented and then fled when her father accused officials of fixing the draw at the 2001 Australian Open.

She had been heavily influenced by her father Damir, who she has since dumped as coach.

After leaving Australia, Dokic played under the Serbia-Montenegro flag but is now considering changing her nationality again to gain a spot at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

She gave up her Australian passport two years ago, but cannot compete in Athens wearing the colours of Serbia-Montenegro because International Tennis Federation rules would only allow her an Olympic start if she played at least one Fed Cup match for her homeland.

The cutoff for the 22 ASB Classic direct entrants is the best yet at No 69 in the world, Flavia Pennetta, of Italy.

The top eight seed are all ranked inside the top 50.

"The overall strength of the player list is outstanding, especially with the cut off for the main draw at 69 and the qualifying draw sitting at 105 at present, although that will move," ASB Classic director Richard Palmer said today.

"It's the first time ever that we've had three players inside the top 20 and with Jelena Dokic making her debut I believe the crowds are in for a great event."

ASB Classic entry list: Paola Suarez (Argentina) tournament ranking 1, world ranking 14, Jelena Dokic (Serbia-Montenegro) 2 15, Anna Smashnova Pistolesi (Israel) 3 16, Eleni Daniilidou (Germany) 4 26, Maria Vento-Kabchi (Venezuela) 5 44, Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) 6 45, Laura Granville (US) 7 46, Marlene Weingartner (Germany) 8 47, Anca Barna (Germany) 9 48, Ashley Harkleroad (US) 10 51, Cara Black (Zimbabwe) 11 52, Virginia Ruano Pascual (Spain) 12 55, Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Switzerland) 13 56, Marion Bartoli (France) 14 57, Amy Frazier (US) 15 61, Klara Koukalova (Czech Republic) 16 62, Akiko Morigami (Japan) 17 63, Ludmila Cervanova (Slovakia) 18 64, Marie Gayane Mikaelian (Switzerland) 19 66, Jelena Kostanic (Croatia) 20 67, Arantxa Parra (Spain) 21 68, Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 22 69.

- NZPA