The Italian tennis player Flavia Pennetta will take part in January's women's ASB Classic in Auckland.
The world number 12 has had her best year yet in 2009, winning two titles and beating big-hitters Nadia Petrova, Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams.
Pennetta will join world number 15 Li Na from China and 2009 finalist Russian Elena Vesnina as a seeded player at the Open.
The six-day tournament will run from January fourth, and is considered a warm-up for the Australian Open.
