Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, former champion Sloane Stephens and Kiwi hope Lulu Sun highlight the opening day of play on centrecourt at Auckland's ASB Classic on Monday.
Traditionally, the top seeds do not appear so soon in the tournament, so Sun — 40th in the world and seeded fourth — is the highest ranked player scheduled on day one.
Born in Te Anau, but raised in Switzerland, she switched international allegiances to New Zealand this year and broke into the top 100, reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals and earning WTA Newcomer of the Year honours.
Sun, 23, reached the second round at Auckland in January and faces Canadian veteran Rebecca Marino first up this time. Ranked 102, Marino has won their only previous meeting 7-5 6-1 at Cancun in 2022.
Osaka is the most decorated performer on show, facing Israeli qualifier Lina Glushko. The Japanese star has won two Australian Open crowns and two US Open titles, most memorably the fiery 2018 victory over American Serena Williams.
She has struggled for consistency in recent years and the former world No.1 has slipped to 58th, which sees her seeded seventh at Auckland.
Osaka, 27, has contested the ASB Classic once before, reaching the quarterfinals, before retiring injured in 2017.
Stephens has visited New Zealand four times, beating German Julia Goerges to capture the 2016 title, after accounting for Danish third seed Caroline Wozniacki in the semis.
The American reached No.3 world ranking in 2018 and has won seven other WTA tournaments, but has slipped to 74th, just outside seedings for this event.
She will face countywoman Ann Li, whom she beat 7-5 6-4 in their only previous meeting at Guardalajara in 2023.
The full ASB Classic order of play for Monday is:
Stadium Court
11.30am Q Lucrezia Stefanini (Italy) v 5 Clara Tauson (Denmark)
Followed by 4 Lulu Sun (NZ) v Rebecca Marino (Canada)
Followed by 7 Naomi Osaka (Japane) v Q Lina Glushko (Israel)
6.30pm Ann Li (USA) v Sloane Stephens (USA)
Followed by 8 Katie Volynets (USA) v Erika Andreeva (Russia)
Grandstand Court
11.30am Julie Niemeier (Germany) v Q Nao Hibino (Japan)
Followed by Bernada Pera (USA) v Q Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva (Andorra)
Followed by Q Leyre Romero Gormaz (Spain) v Julia Grabher (Austria)
Followed by Appleton (Great Britain)/Lumsden (Great Britain) v 2 Jiang (China)/Wu (Chinese Taipei)
Court Two
1pm Hontama (Japan)/Shibahara (Japan) v 3 Ninomiya (Japan)/Stollar (Hungary)
Followed by 4 Piter (Poland)/Tang (China) v Krunic (Serbia)/Santamaria (USA)
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