"Two of the biggest names in women's tennis are to play in New
Zealand next year."

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles will play two
exhibition matches in February, it was announced today. It will be
the first time either of the former world No. 1's have been to New
Zealand to play tennis, with the first match in Auckland on February
1, followed by a rematch on February 3 in Christchurch.

Today's joint statement from Auckland Tennis and Canterbury Tennis
follows the top-class men's field assembled for the Heineken Open in
January.

Navratilova is recognised as one of the world's most phenomenal
athletes and has won 58 grand slam titles in a career that has
spanned over 30 years.

She has also won 167 singles titles on the WTA Tour, which is the
most won by any man or woman in the history of tennis, and 173
doubles titles. She is one of few players to have been ranked Number
1 in both singles and doubles concurrently.

Navratilova, 48, played in the women's doubles at the Athens Olympics
and is still playing mixed doubles on the professional circuit.

In 1990 a 16-year-old Seles won her first grand slam singles title
after beating Navratilova - making her the youngest French Open
champion to date.

In the next two years Seles won eight out of nine grand slams she
played, but in 1993 Seles was stabbed in the back by Guenter Parche
during her quarterfinal match in Hamburg, subsequently missing more
than two years on the WTA Tour.

She eventually carried on to win 53 career titles and spent 178 weeks
as world No 1.