Big names confirmed: World No 3 among strong men’s ASB Classic field

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Author: NZ Herald ,
Publish Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2022, 11:45am

The men’s ASB Classic in 2023 will be graced by one of the strongest fields in recent history.

Due to the proximity of the Australian Open, it hasn’t always been easy to attract players ranked inside the top 15, with many top men electing not to play ahead of Melbourne.

But the Auckland tournament next year will boast three inside the top 15, with Casper Ruud (world No 3), Holger Rune (11) and Cameron Norrie (14).

The quality is complemented by the presence of Diego Schwartzman (25), who reached the 2020 French Open semifinals and has twice made the last eight at the US Open.

Other names include Italian Fabio Fognini (55), who was a popular draw here in 2020, Belgian David Goffin (53) and long time Auckland favourite John Isner (41), who has won two titles here across eight previous appearances.

But most of the interest will be in the trio of Ruud, Rune and Norrie.

Ruud, a 23-year-old from Norway, had a stunning 2022.

He was runner-up in two Grand Slams (French Open and Wimbledon), as well as the Nitto ATP Finals. He also banked three ATP titles.

If Ruud is a young gun on the up, then there is excitement in second seed, Rune, the Danish teenager who has set the tennis scene alight to rise to 11 in the world with three tournament wins this year.

The best was the Paris Masters, where he beat four top-10 players to claim the crown, including Novak Djokovic in the final.

But Auckland-raised Norrie will probably be the biggest attraction. His game has gone to another level in the last 18 months. He made 10 ATP Tour finals from mid-2021 to August this year, including a victory at the ATP Masters 1000 at Indian Wells, and reached the semis in Wimbledon. Norrie was also the beaten finalist in Auckland in 2019.

Cameron Norrie in action at Wimbledon in July. Photo / Getty

Overall, it’s a line-up with impressive depth.

The 19-strong field announced on Wednesday, with wildcards and qualifiers still to be added, are all within the top 65 players on world rankings.

Veteran Frenchman Richard Gasquet could also get a start. The 36-year-old who has been on the circuit for 20 years, is currently second on the alternate list. Gasquet is a former world No 1 junior who rose to a career-high seven in 2007 and has won 15 titles.

“We have an extraordinarily good men’s field, with Ruud, Rune and Norrie among the hottest players in the world over the last two years,” said tournament director Nicholas Lamperin. “To have the initial field within the top 65 ranked players in the world is a tremendous achievement for everyone who has worked so hard on this event, and testament to the reputation of this tournament in Auckland.”

ASB Classic men’s field (with alternates and qualifiers to be added):