Tennis: Serving up a feast of talent

American Ashley Harkleroad in action during qualifying in the women's classic yesterday. Picture / Paul Estcourt

Tennis fans will be served a rare treat in today's opening matches at the international women's classic.

First day ASB Classic centre-court action features some of the biggest names in the game.

The talented line-up is headed by top seed and world No 9 Nadia Petrova and includes two-time winner Eleni Daniilidou, comeback star Jelena Dokic and popular Paola Suarez, who is back at the ASB Tennis Centre for the fourth time.

And, if the call of an outside court beckons - and the chance to sit in the shade - there is the opportunity to watch the world's top junior, Victoria Azarenka, in Sovereign singles play.

Sixteen-year-old Azarenka (Belarus) meets former world No 13 (now 45) Amy Frazier (US), a player more than twice her age in a court four afternoon match.

But back to main court action.

Defending champion and fifth seed Katarina Srebotnik would have preferred an easier first-up assignment than a tournament-opener against popular 2003-2004 champion Daniilidou.

Between them, the pair have picked up the last three winner's cheques.

The only consolation for the loser is that she will be back to play tomorrow as both face second-day first-round doubles matches.

Petrova, in Auckland for almost two weeks, will have her long wait for action over when she heads on court for the second match against tour veteran Argentine Mariana Diaz-Oliva, 29.

That much-anticipated battle will be followed by eighth seed Vera Zvonareva's clash with Suarez, who arrives with an "official" ranking of 328 but has a much higher reality ranking - 55 - on her return after a major injury break.

Zvonareva, too, is on the comeback after injury, during which time her ranking slid from a career-high nine to 36.

Then follows Dokic, who faces an even bigger fightback after her much-publicised exit from the sport.

Dokic, like Azarenka, gets a start courtesy of a wildcard from tournament director Richard Palmer. She meets German Julia Schruff, ranked 95, in what appears a comfortable first-round match-up.

While Dokic has had the advantage of three matches in an Australian Open wildcard mini-tournament in Australia last month, Schruff was able to get in some valuable time on court yesterday in playing [successfully] two doubles qualifying matches.

The last of five centre-court singles matches again features a seeded player, with world No 35 and Japanese seventh seed Shinobu Asagoe up against Spain's Maria Sanchez Lorenzo.

For Asagoe this is the chance to go one better than last year when she lost the final to Srebotnik before teaming with her to win the doubles.

They are back together as third seeds in the doubles - first match tomorrow against unseeded Tina Krizan and Jennifer Russell.

Suarez's decision to play doubles has strengthened an already strong field.

She and singles fifth seed Maria Kirilenko have taken the second seeding behind the powerful Russian duo of Zvonareva and Elena Likhovtseva who, like Kirilenko, will be a headline player on the second day.

A touch sadly, there will be minimal New Zealand presence at this year's Classic.

Kairangi Vano took Ryoko Fuda (Japan) to three sets in her first-round qualifying match but the other three New Zealanders, Shona Lee, Sacha Jones and Tracey O'Connor, bowed out in straight sets.

Paula Marama and Luxembourg partner Claudine Schaul yesterday went down 7-9 in first-round doubles qualifying to Schruff and Agnes Szavay (Hungary) who later won through to the main draw.

But among those who did get through the first two rounds of qualifying was 2004 finalist Ashley Harkleroad, who plays qualifying tournament top seed Jelena Kostanic from Croatia.

The New Zealand flag will be flown tomorrow by Leanne Baker and her Italian partner, Francesca Lubiani, in first-round doubles.

Their chances of repeating last year's amazing run to the final hit an early snag when they were drawn to play Likhovtseva and Zvonareva.

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

* Centre court

Defending champion Katarina Srebotnik plays two-time former winner Eleni Daniilidou first up at 11am.

Jelena Dokic continues her comeback against top 100 player Julia Schruff from Germany.

* Watch out for

On court 4 world junior No 1 Victoria Azarenka, 16, faces 33-year-old former top-15 player Amy Frazier.

* Tickets

About 1000 available today ranging from $30-$45 (adults) and $16-$28 (16 and under)

No night matches scheduled