The word "best ever" are commonly used when describing the ASB Classic each year. And once again the phrase "best ever" is true with the 2007 ASB Classic featuring the Sovereign singles and doubles set to have the best list of players in its history, featuring many notable names and highly ranked players.

For the first time ever four players in the top-20 rankings will participate in the US$145,000 tournament.

Both finalists from 2006 have entered, as has a semifinalist from this years US Open, a new player in the form of a former Roland Garros champ and former world No2 plus several other new and exciting players.

The top seed for the tournament will be world No12 Jelena Jankovic who may be familiar to New Zealanders for her appearance at the ASB Classic in 2005 where she reached the quarterfinals as a teenager and gave a glimpse of what is now regarded as one of the most attacking backhands in the game.

Although not winning a singles title this year Jankovic made a huge impact. She struggled initially but after May compiled a record which included the fourth round at Wimbledon, the final in Los Angeles where she beat Ana Ivanovic and Serena Williams but lost to Elena Dementieva in three sets.

There was also a semifinal appearance at Beijing where she beat Nadia Petrova but fell to Amelie Mauresmo in a third set tiebreak and a semi final finish in Guangzhou and Strasbourg. She also made the quarters at six events.

The big result was a the US Open wher in consecutive matches Jankovic beat Nicole Vaidisova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dementieva before going down to Justine Henin-Hardenne in three sets. Her current ranking of 12 is a craeer-high.

Joining Jankovic in the top-20 are second seeded Russian Anastasia Myskina the French open champion at Roland Garros in 2005 and a former No2 who owns ten WTA singles titles.

Myskina is at No16 in the world, followed by defending champ Marion Bartoli of France who won three titles this year and currently sits at a career-high No17.

Rounding out the top-four seeds is former No5 Daniela Hantuchova currently at 18 and a popular semifinalist at the 2006 ASB Classic.

This years beaten singles finalist, but doubles winner Vera Zvonareva returns with a ranking of 24. The former top-10 player will be the fifth seed.

Other top-50 players include two-time champion Eleni Daniilidou returning to conmtinue her love affair with the centre court at the ASB Tennis Centre. Daniilidou scored some top results in 2006 including a title at Seoul and is currently ranked 36.

Also included in the player list is flamboyant Italian Romina Oprandi in her breakthrough year on the circuit with former No12 Natalie Dechy who was a semifinalist at the 2005 Australian Open.

They along with Shenay Perry and Jamea Jackson and Croat, Jelena Kostanic round out the 11 players ranked in the top-50.

A newcomer to the ASb Classic is India’s Sania Mirza who became a national hero in her country when she became the first Indian to win a WTA title beating Alyona Bondarenko at the Hyderabad event in 2005. This year Mirza, 20 reached one semifinal and three querterfinals and has career wins over a number of top-10 players. She is currently ranked at 67.

Another player of note is Paola Suarez who reached a high in singles rankings of No9 in 2004 and has been the No1 in doubles player winning eight Grand Slam doubles titles. Suarez was a semifinalist at Roland Garros in 2004 and has been a quarterfinalist at Grand Slams on three other occasions. She was a singles finalist in Auckland in 2001 and has entered with a special injury ranking of 55.

"This is an exciting list of players with many different styles, personalities and nationalities. It’s going to be difficult to predict the quarterfinalists, let alone the winner. Having four players in the top-20 is a first and the calibre of those players is quite remarkable.

"A field of this quality couldn’t have been achieved without the assistance and wholehearted backing of ASB. Their partnership has been vital in growing the status of the tournament and this year’s line-up is a testament to the reputation we now have with the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour," says ASB Classic Tournament Director, Richard Palmer.

The 2007 ASB Classic featuring the Sovereign singles and doubles will be held January 1-6, 2007 at the ASB Tennis Centre, 1 Tennis Lane, Parnell with qualifying on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st December 2006.

Tickets for the ASB Classic are on sale at Ticketk outlets and the ASB Tennis Centre from Monday 20 November.