KEY POINTS:
Daniela Hantuchova sees no reason why she can't regain her place in the world's top five players, and is hoping Auckland next week provides the kick start for a big year.
In January, 2003, the long-legged Slovak reached No 5, having won her first WTA title at Indian
Wells the previous year.
It seemed she was set for a long stay at the top of the table, but that remains her only singles title, to go with eight doubles crowns, plus two Grand Slam mixed doubles wins last year.
She dipped into the low thirties for a time but this year she hinted she was on the march back.
Hantuchova made the semifinals at the ASB Classic, and reached the last 16 in three of the four Grand Slams. In October, she took Maria Sharapova to three sets in the final at Zurich.
But the lack of titles hasn't hurt her bank balance. The Monte Carlo resident has pocketed US$4.12 million ($5.8 million) in prizemoney. But it is success on court she craves and Auckland has good memories for her.
"It gave me a really good start to the year, so I wanted to do the same thing this year," she said yesterday.
Hantuchova, 1.81m and no stranger to the catwalk or fashion magazine covers, believes she is better equipped now to cope with the lofty heights of the top 10, now that she's got an extra couple of years of wisdom behind her.
"If I didn't think that I wouldn't be doing it. I am much more aware of what I am doing on court. Before, it was much easier, no one knew me and I had nothing to lose.
"There was no pressure. Now I feel I am a more accomplished player."
She's still working on the ingredients to get back there.
"If I knew that I think I would be there already" she quipped.
"I'm just trying to do the right things on court, make the right decisions, work as hard as I can and hopefully I'll get there soon."
And she hopes to get a hand in the right direction from her new coach, former Davis Cup player Angel Gimenez.
He's no stranger to New Zealand. The 51-year-old played for Spain at Christchurch in 1982, which resulted in in a notable New Zealand victory.
"The Spanish style of play really suits my game," Hantuchova said. "There's a lot I can learn and Angel has got so much experience, it's exciting."
Hantuchova will be third seed when the US$145,000 Classic main draw starts on Monday.
She has swapped ranking places with defending champion Marion Bartoli - Hantuchova is No 17, the Frenchwoman No 18 - since the entry list was done.
The third and final wildcard was handed out yesterday - to no one.
The slot became vacant when Auckland teenager Sacha Jones had to withdraw due to a back problem.
Classic director Richard Palmer offered it to the fourth best ranked New Zealander - after Marina Erakovic, Leanne Baker and Jones - Canterbury's Ellen Barry.
However Barry, after giving it some thought, preferred to stay in the qualifying field.
Palmer had requests from about 10 players for the card, but in the end opted to allow Germany's world No 82 Julia Schruff into the draw, but withheld the card.
Players are restricted in the number of wildcards they can accept each season.
Not handing it out keeps one extra life for Schruff later in the year, and in any case tournaments are not obliged to hand them out.
The 24-year-old Schruff, who made the quarter-finals on her only previous visit to Auckland last January, has some decent scalps to her name this year, including Classic top seed and world No 12 Jelena Jankovic.