A second top 10 player for the ASB Classic has been confirmed, with world No.4 Karen Khachanov confirming his place in the Auckland men's draw in January.
Khachanov will return to New Zealand for the third time in his career, having last played in the City of Sails in 2018.
In 2016 he lost to Lu Yen-Hsun in the first round, while last year he went out in the quarterfinals, losing to del Potro.
The 23-year-old is the second Russian signing for the Classic after world number four and US Open finalist Daniil Medvedev signed up in September.
"I've enjoyed playing the ASB Classic before, and I'm happy to be returning," said Khachanov. "I missed it last year when I would have liked to have played.
"They have been very good to me from early in my career, and I am really looking forward to coming back."
ASB Classic tournament director Karl Budge is excited to have secured another Top 10 player for the 2020 tournament.
"Karen is a great player and one that we're excited that he's chosen to return to the ASB Classic," said Budge.
"He's one of the current generation of players who are challenging the dominance of the top-three, and I'm sure we're going to see him take home more big titles in the future," said Budge.
"He was ranked 48 in the world last time he was here in New Zealand, and now he's inside the top 10.
"It's a phenomenal improvement from someone who's still in his early 20's, and we're excited to see what he brings to centre court in 2020."
The ASB Classic will take over Auckland for two weeks, with the women hitting centrecourt from January 6-12, followed by men's tournament from January 13-18.
The full women's and men's line-ups to be confirmed late November.
Newshub.
