Noumea has a relative star at its pre-Australian Open event this year in the form of Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, though it is the participation of another returning Frenchman that nearly overshadows him.
Mannarino posted a career year in 2015, reaching a career high ranking of No. 27 in July. He achieved that ranking with highlight runs in reaching the final of the Auckland Classic, just a week after playing Noumea last year, the final of Bogota, and a pair of Last-Sixteen finishes in Indian Wells and Miami. He enters this event ranked No. 47.
There is then a gap of nearly eighty places in second seed Alejandro Falla, ranked at No. 122. Edouard Roger-Vasselin, and Daniel Brands are also amongst the seeds, whilst there is a wildcard for Julien Benneteau, playing his first competitive match in nearly nine months after being sidelined by injury. He last played at Indian Wells.
Noumea Draw (selected picks in bold)
(1) Adrian Mannarino vs Federico Gaio
(WC) Maxime Janvier vs (WC) Nicolas N’Godrela
James McGee vs Gregoire Barrere
Luke Saville vs (5) Blaz Rola
(4) Adrian Menendez-Maceiras vs Quentin Halys
Bastian Trinker vs Alessandro Giannessi
Calvin Hemery vs Jan Mertl
Qualifier vs (7) Daniel Brands
(8) Jordan Thompson vs Darian King
Jordi Samper-Montana vs Conor Smith
Marco Trungelliti vs Qualifier
Maxime Chazal vs (3) Edouard Roger-Vasselin
(8) Henri Laaksonen vs Mathias Bourgue
Qualifier vs (WC) Julien Benneteau
Tristan Lamasine vs Qualifier
Mitchell Kreuger vs (2) Alejandro Falla