Maria Sharapova
Eight
of the world's top 20 men and nine of the top 20 women headline a quality field
announced for January's Brisbane International.
Seven
grand slam champions will compete in the tournament, which begins on January 3
at the Queensland Tennis Centre, including defending champions Roger Federer
and Maria Sharapova.
Marin
Cilic, Sam Stosur and Victoria Azarenka will also start their 2016 campaigns in
Brisbane, along with John McEnroe and Pat Cash, who will play a Fast4 match on
women's final day as part of a new 'legends showdown' initiative.
Newly
minted Newcombe medallist Sam Groth, Gold Coast product Bernard Tomic and
wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis are the big-name Australian men to commit to the
Brisbane International, and will battle the likes of Kei Nishikori, Grigor
Dimitrov and last year's defeated finalist Milos Raonic in a star-studded men's
draw.
In
the women's, Sharapova faces her biggest competition in the form of world No.2
Simona Halep, No.3 Garbine Muguruza and Swiss prodigy Belinda Bencic.
"Every
year, the tournament increases in profile and the calibre of the 2016 field is
certainly testament to the players' regard for the event," tournament
director Cameron Pearson said.
"We're
thrilled to welcome our two defending champions back to Brisbane, who will both
have a real fight on their hands to win back-to-back titles.
"We're
really excited by the strength of both the men's and women's draws and counting
down to what should be a fantastic week of tennis."
Preparations
for the Brisbane International, which attracts around 100,000 spectators each
year, are in full swing with more wildcards and qualifiers to be added closer
to the tournament.
Federer
and Sharapova will aim to become just the third and fourth players to seal
back-to-back titles in Brisbane.
Only
Andy Murray in 2012-13 and Serena Williams in 2013-14 have accomplished the
feat.
MEN'S
DRAW:
Roger
Federer (SUI), Kei Nishikori (JPN), Marin Cilic (CRO), Milos Raonic (CAN),
Gilles Simon (FRA), David Goffin (BEL), Bernard Tomic (Qld), Dominic Thiem
(AUT), Viktor Troicki (SRB), Grigor Dimitrov (BUL), Steve Johnson (USA), Thomaz
Bellucci (BRA), Hyeon Chung (KOR), Jerzy Janowicz (POL), Radek Stepanek (CZE),
Sam Querrey (USA), Sam Groth (Vic), Denis Istomin (UZB), Mikhail Kukushkin
(KAZ), Denis Kudla (USA), Nicolas Mahut (FRA), Thanasi Kokkinakis (SA)
WOMEN'S
DRAW:
Simona
Halep (ROU), Garbine Muguruza (ESP), Maria Sharapova (RUS), Angelique Kerber
(GER), Timea Bacsinszky (SUI), Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP), Belinda Bencic
(SUI), Roberta Vinci (ITA), Sara Errani (ITA), Jelena Jankovic (SRB), Victoria
Azarenka (BLR), Ekaterina Makarova (RUS), Andrea Petkovic (GER), Anna Karolina
Schmiedlova (SVK), Sam Stosur (Qld), Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS), Kristina
Mladenovic (FRA), Lesia Tsurenko (UKR), Camila Giorgi (ITA), Dominika Cibulkova
(SVK), Madison Brengle (USA), Alize Cornet (FRA)
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