Day one a day of champions 

Day one of the ASB Classic tennis tournament is a day of champions and top players and it starts from the first match through to the final contest.

Defending champion Katarina Srebotnik kicks things off on centrecourt when she clashes against two-time champion Eleni Daniilidou. Between them they have won the last three singles titles.

Top seed and world No7 Nadia Petrova is next up when she plays Argentine Mariana Diaz-Oliva. Petrova is the tip of the Russian sword in Auckland and will obviously be looking to build upon her strong finish to the 2005 season.

Petrova won their only previous encounter in straight sets at Portoroz in 2005.

She ended the year by winning her first WTA singles title in Linz and then beat compatriot Maria Sharapova in round robin play at the year end WTA championships.

Two former top 10 players, Vera Zvonareva and Paola Suarez, are next on the card. Both reached career high rankings of No9 in 2004 (Suarez in June and Zvonareva in August).

Suarez is the owner of seven Grand Slam doubles titles and has also been ranked No1 in the world in doubles while Zvonareva won her third WTA singles title in Memphis last year.

Zvonareva leads the head to head series 2-1 although they haven't met since 2003.

Former Serbian now Australian, Jelena Dokic, also makes her much anticipated ASB Classic debut on day one. The former world No4 is taking a walk along the comeback trail in 2006 after playing sparingly over the last two years and takes on Julia Schruff.

The pick of the matches on the outside courts will be the contest between 2005 top seed Amy Frazier and the world's No1 junior, Victoria Azarenka.

In case you were wondering, Frazier (33) is twice the age of Azarenka (16).

Daily Schedule - for Monday January 2nd Centrecourt - 11am Sovereign singles (5)Katarina Srebotnik(SLO) v Eleni Daniilidou Followed by (1)Nadia Petrova(RUS) v Mariana Diaz-Oliva(ARG) Followed by (8)Vera Zvonareva(RUS) v Paola Suarez(ARG) Followed by (WC)Jelena Dokic(AUS) v Julia Schruff(GER) Followed by Maria Sanchez Lorenzo(ESP) v (7)Shinobu Asagoe(JPN) Followed by Sovereign doubles Claire Curran(GBR)/Natalie Grandin(RSA) v Jill Craybas(USA)/Meilen Tu(USA)

Court 4

Start time - 11am

Sovereign singles

Qualifying final

Jelena Kostanic(CRO) v Ashley Harkleroad(USA) Followed by Ryoko Fuda(JPN) v Shanay Perry(USA) Followed by Amy Frazier(USA) v (WC)Victoria Azarenka(BLR) Followed by Catalina Castano(COL) v Kristina Brandi(PUR) Followed by Sovereign doubles Laura Granville(USA)/Abigail Spears(USA) v (4)Emile Loit(FRA)/Barbora

Strycova(CZE)

Court 6

Start time - 11am

Sovereign singles

Qualifying final

Anne Kremer(LUX) v Mariya Koryttseva(UKR) Followed by Tzipora Obziler(ISR) v Mervana Jugic-Salkic(BIH) Followed by main draw singles Yoon jeong Cho(KOR) v Shahar Peer(ISR) Followed by Sovereign doubles Mariya Koryttseva(UKR)/Galina Voskoboeva(RUS) v Liga Dekmeijere(LAT)/Ashley Harkleroad(USA) Followed by Jelena Kostanic(CRO)/Martina Muller(GER) v Vera Dushevina(RUS)/Shahar Peer(ISR)