24 Nov 2010

Two former world number ones at ASB Classic

2:42 pm on 24 November 2010

There'll be two former world number ones in the field at the ASB Classic women's tennis tournament in Auckland with Dinara Safina confirmed overnight.

The Russian is unseeded but she's won 12 WTA tiles and joins already confirmed countrywomen the top seed Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova, the third seed behind last January's winner Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium

The former Wimbledon champion Sharapova, has been ranked number one and Kuznetsova's been as high as two.

Although the 18th ranked Sharapova's the only top 20 player the tournament's director Richard Palmer says they've never had two former number ones.

Four Russians have made the 24 player cutoff, including the 2009 finalists Elena Vesnina who's the ninth seed.