PREVIEW | 2024 ASB Classic Day Four including RADUCANU v SVITOLINA and GAUFF in action

Day Four of the 2024 ASB Classic is upon us in Auckland with Emma Raducanu facing Elina Svitolina in the showpiece clash on Thursday morning with two players at different places in their comebacks but two of the most recognisable on the WTA Tour.

Our preview looks ahead to the main talking points as the second round concludes in Auckland which has already seen Amanda Anisimova head out. Coco Gauff is also in action during this session in the other main standout tie.

Some got carried away by Emma Raducanu winning her opener at the ASB Classic saying that she would now win multiple Grand Slams this season. Of course it is very early days, but she showed variation in her game including a superb slice shot that Liam Broady said on social media she had been working on for the past six months at the National Tennis Centre.

The only issue she had was closing out the tie, but she can be forgiven for that especially given that she hasn't played competitively for nine months so some rust would've appeared. She has also had the news during Wednesday that she will now be in the main draw at the Australian Open instead of qualifying. Lauren Davis withdrawing has given her a lifeline that her protected ranking wouldn't give her.

But she still has Auckland to attempt to win or at least make a good first tournament back of. That could soon end on Thursday though with a real tough examination likely awaiting for Raducanu.

In many ways the story of 2023 was Elina Svitolina who is up next and despite leaving the sport due to pregnancy over injury, she is a player who Raducanu will hope to emulate.

She reached the third round or better in every Grand Slam she played last year and reached the Quarter-Final and Semi-Final at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. A 17th WTA title and coming from nowhere to return to the top 25 in the world, Svitolina will go into this year hoping for an even bigger rise. Given her new game style of being more aggressive and more appealing on the eye with coach Raemon Sluiter anchoring that and being buoyed by becoming a mother and also giving hope to those at home in Ukraine, she is an inspiring story and going into 2024, that mission will continue.

Amid the big name returns, Coco Gauff has flown under the radar after one of her best seasons of her career becoming a Grand Slam champion and is also favourite to retain her title this week in Auckland.

She faces 16-year-old Brenda Fruhvirtova who came through qualifying and sealed an opening win and will now aim to topple a player who knows full well what it is like to be a teenager on tour.

Also on the schedule is Yue Yuan v Petra Martic and Lulu Sun facing Varvara Gracheva all in second round ties.