Tennis: 18-ranked Belgian confirmed for Classic

Women tennis players can be added to chocolates and Hercule Poirot in the list of Belgium's best known exports - especially if Yanina Wickmayer continues on her current path.

World No 18 Wickmayer was yesterday unveiled as the second top-20 player coming to Auckland for the ASB Classic, after China's world No 15, Li Na.

And big news is expected to keep coming over the next two weeks, with at least one more top-15 player and possibly another inside the top-20 tipped to sign on for the US$220,000 event starting on January 4.

It is understood tournament director Brenda Perry has a player on the edge of the top-10 lined up, with good prospects of another to follow.

By a process of elimination, those in the frame for Auckland include Polish player Agnieszka Radwanska, Italian Flavia Pennetta and Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli, winner of the Classic in 2006 - all ranked between 10th and 15th.

If any of that trio came to Auckland, they would be top seed, but Wickmayer, after a highly impressive year, will fancy her chances of starting next year strongly.

Last January, she was No 71 in the world, but her first WTA singles titles - at Estoril, Portugal, in May and Linz, Austria, in October - and being a beaten finalist at s'Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands in June, helped her make rapid strides.

Wickmayer, 20 and 1.82m tall, also surprised in reaching the US Open semifinals in September, where she lost to eventual runner-up Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.

She is making an impact at a time when Belgium's finest players are back on court.

Kim Clijsters, who won the US Open to mark her return to the WTA in grand style after several years' absence, is No 17. And Justine Henin, also a former world No 1, will hit the circuit again shortly.

Both are confirmed starters in the Brisbane International, to be held in the same week as the Classic.

Wickmayer follows in a fine tradition established by that pair.

"For Belgian tennis, I think it's great to have two champions like Kim and Justine back on tour playing. For me, it's a good experience to watch them and be around them at tournaments," Wickmayer said yesterday.

She rates herself a fighter on court and an aggressive player with a solid serve.

Wickmayer cites mental and physical improvements as the keys to what has been a special year for her.

"I've kept working hard, kept on trying to improve my game mentally and physically. By playing a lot of matches I got really confident, and everything started to come together."

The Classic will be played on Rebound Ace; the Australian Open is on Plexicushion.

Concerns have arisen that some players won't come to Auckland as they want to prepare on the same surface before the opening Grand Slam, which starts a week after the Classic final.

Wickmayer isn't among them.

"I adjust pretty fast to surfaces. We have different surfaces all through the year, so I'm easy on that."