SYDNEY, Dec 4: Six of the top ten ranked women’s players and five of the men’s top 20 stars are confirmed to play in next month’s Sydney International, the organisers said on Thursday.

Serena Williams, the nine-time Grand Slam winner, and world No 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be the top seeds for the mixed WTA/ATP tournament from Jan 11 to 17.

Serena headlines a strong women’s field along with other top-tenners Dinara Safina (3), Elena Dementieva (4), Vera Zvonareva (7), Svetlana Kuznetsova (8) and Agnieszka Radwanska (10).

Tournament director Craig Watson said rising WTA stars Caroline Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka, Alize Cornet and Dominika Cibulkova will be playing along with senior campaigners Amelie Mauresmo, Daniela Hantuchova and Ai Sugiyama.

World No 7 Gilles Simon will join compatriot and Australian Open runner-up Tsonga in the men’s draw along with world No 11 David Nalbandian, Igor Andreev (19), Tomas Berdych (20), Tommy Robredo (21), Mardy Fish (24) and Richard Gasquet (25).

Russian defending champion Dmitry Tursunov, Spanish Davis Cup star Feliciano Lopez and four-time Sydney champion and Australian No 1 Lleyton Hewitt, who has a wildcard entry, are also in the field.

The women’s main draw ranking cut-off is 40 and 41 for the men.—AFP