11:40 - That will do us for the opening day of the men's tournament. We'll be back tomorrow with full coverage of the day's action.
Mikael Ymer v Frances Tiafoe (6-4, 5-7, 6-1)
11:30pm - A glorious forehand winner clinches Ymer victory to close out day one.
11:22pm - Another break for Ynmer. Steep hill ahead for Tiafoe to get back into this contest.
11:14pm - Ymer claims an early break point to go up 2-0.
11:03pm - Tiafoe blasts a lovely forehand winner to clinch the second set. Off to a third, we go.
10:57pm - Tiafoe finally creates some separation with a break point late in the second set that could prove critical.
10:44pm - These two continue to trade punches, and highly entertaining punches, at that. 4-4.
10:26pm - A crowd-pleasing game comes to an end with Tiafoe fending off multiple breaks. 2-2.
10:13pm - Tight stuff to start the second set, both players starting to pull out some spectacular winners.
10:03pm - Ymer forces Tiafoe into a tough passing shot and secures the break and the first set.
9:58pm - Plenty of baseline power on display here, as Ymer holds serve to go up 5-4.
9:49pm - Ymer erases the break deficit and we'll back square.
9:41pm - Tiafoe hustles for the service break to take an early advantage.
9:31pm- Each player holds serve to start the match.
9:10pm - Sweden's Ymer and American Tiafoe will round out the opening day of the men's tournament.
Jannik Sinner v Benoit Paire (4-6, 6-2, 4-6)
9:04pm - Game, set, match for the Frenchman. Paire takes it in three.
9:02pm - Paire up to serve for the match at 5-4.
8:50pm - Paire fends off a Sinner break point to go up 4-2.
8:30pm - Paire makes a statement with a break in the first game of the third, then cashes in to go 2-0 up.
8:23pm - And we're all square at one set apiece, as Sinner secures the second 6-2.
8:19pm - Sinner moves within a game of closing out the set.
8:05pm - Yet another break for Sinner who is rolling in this second set.
8pm - Sinner consolidates the break to go up 3-0.
7:55pm - Sinner responds in ideal fashion, breaking at the start of the second set to take a 2-0 lead.
7:43pm - The Frenchman gets it done, first set in the bag 6-4.
7:38pm - Paire now serving for the first set, up 5-4.
7:20pm - Early break for the Frenchman and he goes up 3-1 in the first set.
7:04pm - Fith seed Paire and the young gun Sinner both out on court, warm-ups underway. We should be started shortly.
6:33pm - Jannik Sinner and Benoit Paire are next up on centre court at 7pm.
Ugo Humbert v Casper Ruud (7-6, 2-6, 6-3)
6:30pm - The Frenchman closes out the match with a 6-3 win in the final set.
6:20pm - Critical breakpoint for Humbert, he'll serve for the match.
6:05pm - Humbert staves off a break point to hold serve and go up 3-2.
5:56pm - Tight going through the final set as both players hold serve.
5:42pm - The Norwegian takes the second set to send us to a decisive third.
5:20pm - Ruud earns a break in the second set to make it 2-3.
Cameron Norrie v Thiago Monteiro (6-7, 2-6)
5:13pm - There's the first upset in the men's draw, as Monteiro knocks last year's beaten finalist out in the tournament's first round.
5:03pm - Yet another break for Monteiro and the Brazlian is well on his way to an upset.
Meanwhile on the outer court, France's Humbert has sealed a 7-6 first set win against Norway's Ruud.
4:50pm - Break earned early by Monteiro and he consolidates to go up 3-1.
4:33pm - And the Brazilian underdog blasts a forehand winner to win the tiebreak and the opening set.
4:26pm - To the tiebreak we go...
4:22pm - Monteiro goes to 6-5, over to Norrie to serve and force a tiebreaker.
4:19pm - Norries holds to stay in the set. We move to 5-5.
Ugo Humbert and Casper Rudd have begun their first-round clash on the Grandstand, tied 2-2 early.
4:15pm - Monteiro fights back, he moves to a 5-4 lead.
3:49pm - Norrie breaks early to take the advantage.
3:42pm - The Briton and the Brazilian are underway on centre court.
Tennys Sandgren v Michael Venus (6-4, 6-3)
3:26pm - Sandgren closes it out with a quick ace-laden game to end the New Zealander's singles campaign.
3:18pm - Sandgren moves to 5-2, Venus will serve to try and stay in the match.
3:10pm - Sandgren clinches the first break of the second set to take a 3-1 lead.
He quickly consolidates that advantage and it's a long way back for the Kiwi now.
3:03pm - Venus saves a break point to square things up at 1-1.
2:58pm - Venus threatens to break on the opening service game of the second set but Sandgren survives to go up 1-0.
2:48pm - The defending champion breaks the kiwi to claim the opening set 6-4.
2:34pm - He can and the Kiwi is starting to look more at home by himself on court.
2:29pm - Back on serve, after Venus breaks Sandgren straight back for 3-2. Can he hold to draw level?
2:25pm - But Venus double-faults to lose his second service game and Sandgren moves ahead 3-1.
2:17pm - Venus holds his first serve to level the set at 1-1.
2:08pm - Sandgren currently holds a ranking of 68th in the world, and looks strong and fit. He achieved his career-high rank of 41 after winning this event last year - his only title so far.
His last outing was at Houston, where he lost to world No.333 Michael Redlicki in three sets.
Venus has no singles ranking and hasn't played solo for a couple of years now, but holds the No.10 doubles spot and - with Aussie John Peers - he's top seed at this tournament.
6-Hubert Hurkacz (Poland) beat Lorenzo Sonego (Italy) 7-5 6-3
1:56pm - Hurkacz throws down a 216kph thunderbolt to overcome Sonego and progress to the second round. While the Italian showed flashes of his ability, the Pole was too consistent, winning 81 percent of his first serves.
He will now face the winner of Mikael Ymer v Frances Tiafoe - a match scheduled for later today - in the second round.
Next up, defending champion Tennys Sandgren returns to Centrecourt to face Kiwi doubles specialist Michael Venus. Sandgren gained entry to the main draw, when top seed Daniil Medvedev withdrew, while Venus was awarded a singles wildcard.
1:35pm - Real pressure coming on service games now, with Hurkacz breaking Sonego to take the momentum in the second set at 3-1.
1:26pm - The Italian finally puts some pressure on Hurkacz's serve and has several chances to break, before the sixth seed digs himself out of the hole for 2-1.
1:19pm - Sonego has had to survive three break points early to level the second set at 1-1.
1:06pm - Hurkacz has finally taken the first set off Sonego 7-5, with the only service break coming in that final game.
An evenly balanced affair saw the Pole squader a couple of break chances earlier in the set, but his return game really tested his rival's serve in the final exchanges.
Sonego served up five aces with no double faults, compared to Hurkacz's 3-1.
12:07pm - Players for the first match of the day are warming up on Centrecourt, with sixth-seeded Pole Hubert Hurkacz facing 51st-ranked Italian Lorenzo Sonego, who has won the only previous encounter between these two.
Hurkacz is ranked 37th in the world.
*****
Kia ora, good morning and welcome to the opening day of play at the ASB Classic men's tournament from Auckland.
After yesterday's climax to the women's event, with Serena Williams holding centre stage, attention now turns to the men, where top seed Daniil Medvedev was an unfortunate late withdrawal.
That leaves the competition wide open, with Italian Fabio Fognini now top seed and defending champion Tenys Sandgren - courtesy of a wildcard - saved the embarrassment of having to qualify. He will face Kiwi doubles specialist Michael Venus this afternoon.
Young Italian star Jannik Sinner takes on Frenchman Benoit Paire, while NZ-born Cameron Norrie faces Brazilian qualifer Thiago Monteiro.
The full ASB Classic men's schedule for Monday is:
GRANDSTAND
4pm
Singles - Round of 32
Ugo Humbert (France) v Casper Ruud (Norway)
CENTRECOURT
Noon
Singles - Round of 32
Lorenzo Sonego (Italy) v Hubert Hurkacz (Poland)
Followed by
Singles - Round of 32
Tennys Sandgren (USA) v Michael Venus (NZ)
Followed by
Singles - Round of 32
Cameron Norrie (UK) v Thiago Monteiro (Brazil)
Not before 7pm
Singles - Round of 32
Jannik Sinner (Italy) v Benoit Paire (France)
Followed by
Singles - Round of 32
Mikael Ymer (Sweden) v Frances Tiafoe (USA)
Men's ASB Classic lacking star power of women's draw
Kiwi Michael Venus could now be the biggest attraction at next week's men's tournament, which lacks the star power of a Serena Williams.
Venus has been given a wildcard the day after top seed Daniil Medvedev's withdrawal.
World No.12 Fabio Fognini has inherited the top billing for the men's edition, which kicks off in Auckland on Monday.
But he doesn't bring with him the star power of Medvedev, a US Open finalist in 2019.
The Russian has decided to rest before the Australian Open later this month, after a deep run with his country at the ATP Cup in Sydney this week.
"There's a massive tournament the week after us that the players logically want to get ready for," noted tournament director Karl Budge.
"He's [Medvedev] had a massive load this week."
Tournament director Karl Budge tried to fly in some big names for his wildcard spot to bolster the draw, but ultimately, he was forced to turn to Venus - one of the world's best doubles players.
"We offered brothers wildcards, we offered private jets. We offered a lot to try to get people coming out of Australia and Doha this week."
The withdrawal does give fans a favourite in Medvedev's absence.
"It could be a good opportunity to start the year - get some point play, before getting on the doubles court," Venus said.
Venus will play defending champion Tennys Sandgren in the first round.
Despite featuring more top 20 players, the men's tournament lacks the big-name appeal of its women's counterpart, which included two of the biggest names in the sport in Williams and Caroline Wozniacki.
"Our men's field is quite a lot stronger than our women's field," Budge said. "It just doesn't have man-on-the street appeal that the women's field has enjoyed this week."
But at least Michael Venus can enjoy the spotlight and hopefully get bums on seats.
