Kooyong Classic: Kevin Anderson, Marin Cilic, Juan Martin Del Potro with Bernard Tomic thrown in

The field for January’s Kooyong Classic was given a boost with the announcement that world No. 6 and No.7, Kevin Anderson and Marin Cilic, will join No. 5 Juan Martin Del Potro.

The field for January’s Kooyong Classic was given a boost with the announcement that world No. 6 and No.7, Kevin Anderson and Marin Cilic, will join No. 5 Juan Martin Del Potro in the men’s field for the annual lead-up tournament for the Australian Open.

With three of the world’s top 10 players, including two US Open winners, set to grace Kooyong’s centre court, local tennis fans have plenty to look forward to.

Cilic joins the tournament field after a thrilling victory in the Davis Cup final last weekend.

FIRST STARS SIGN ON FOR KOOYONG

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Marin Cilic, seen here with Croatia’s Davis Cup, is on his way to Kooyong Picture: Darko Bandic

“It’s great to have Marin back at Kooyong,” tournament director Peter Johnston said. “Last year it served him well as a lead up to the Australian Open when he reached the final before losing in five sets to Roger Federer.

“It was an incredible effort playing the lead role in Croatia’s Davis Cup win on the weekend. He has done pretty much everything in the sport, being a former US Open winner and finalist at Wimbledon and Australian Open and a regular fixture in the top 10.”

A Wimbledon finalist this year, Anderson has had a career-best season with victories at the Erste Bank Open 500 in Vienna and the New York Open.

Johnston said the signing of Anderson and Cilic, along with Del Potro, is “testament to the important role the Kooyong Classic plays for players honing their final preparations for the Australian Open”.

A previous winner of the event, Australia’s Bernard Tomic, has also signed on for January

After a trying start to 2018, Tomic will look to build on a strong second half of the year, which included victory at the Chengdu Open in September.

Bernard Tomic with the Kooyong Classic trophy in 2012.

“I’m keen to get back to Kooyong for the 2019 Classic,” he said. “It should be the perfect preparation for the Australian Open.”

Johnston noted Tomic’s return to form.

“Tomic has worked so hard this year to rebuild his ranking,” he said. “With his tournament victory in Chengdu in September he was one of only two Aussies to win an ATP Title this year and he’s gotten back to the point where he is directly into the main draw of the Australian Open.

“Hopefully the Kooyong Classic is the ideal preparation for the Australian Open as he will be in a field with the world’s best in Del Potro, Anderson and Cilic.”

USA’s Amanda Anisimova will be playing at Kooyong for the first time, making it two US players competing in the women’s field alongside compatriot CoCo Vandeweghe.

At 17-years of age, she is the youngest woman inside the WTA top 100 and her 2018 form suggests 2019 will be a breakout year for the former junior US Open champion.

The Kooyong Classic will run from Tuesday, January 8 until Thursday, January 10 at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Glenferrie Rd, Kooyong