Sock it to them...
This year’s field for the ASB Men’s Classic in Auckland is being touted as one of the best ever with five players ranked within the world’s top 20 and five former champions seeking the title again.
Among the former champions are last year’s winner Jack Sock (USA), the 2016 title holder Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain, four-times champion David Ferrer of Spain (2007, 2011-13), two-time winner John Isner (2010, 2014) from the USA and Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro, who won in 2009.
And there is also an impressive array of up-and-coming talent including Canadian Denis Shapovalov, 18, who had a huge 2017 becoming the youngest player since Rafael Nadal to break into the world’s top 50.
Tournament director Karl Budge is thrilled with the line-up.
“This is clearly the best field I have put together,” Budge says.
“To have a field that is all within the world’s top 61 players, genuine Grand Slam contenders, nine years’ worth of champions and the most exciting next wave of players is an incredible result.”