World No 15 Nicolas Almagro has been given a wildcard entry
into the Heineken Open tennis tournament in Auckland next
month after a request from the Spanish player's management.
Almagro is the third top 20-ranked player confirmed for the
January 10-15 tournament, joining his compatriot and top
seed, world No 7 David Ferrer, and American world No 19 John
Isner, the defending champion and third seed.
Almagro, who will be the second seed, was a two-time champion
this year and made the quarterfinals at the French Open for
the second time in three years.
His titles came at Bastad, where he defeated Robin Soderling
in three sets in the final, and at Gstaad, where he accounted
for Richard Gasquet in the final for his seventh career
title.
He also featured in two ATP semifinals, in Vienna and Madrid,
and was a quarterfinalist on three other occasions.
Known as an aggressive player, the 25-year-old will take to
the courts in Auckland for the fifth time. His best
performance was last year when he made the quarterfinals.
"Almagro is an undeniable talent who is one of the hardest
hitters in the world," tournament director Richard Palmer
said.
"His results in 2010 speak for themselves. Winning two
tournaments and making the quarters at Roland Garros is
pretty impressive.
"The fact he is No 15 in the world shows that he is a top
player."
The remaining wildcards will be announced next Tuesday.
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