Defending champion Dudi Sela and giant killers Andreas Seppi and Florian Mayer make up the $96,000 Canberra Challenger's "strongest ever field".

Israel's Sela won last year's title and he returns as the No.1 seed as the highest ranked player at 67.

He's one of 13 players from the world's top 100, including Seppi and Mayer - who both have career-high rankings of No.18.

While Seppi, currently No.86, comes to Canberra for the first time, he has a good track record Down Under, making the Australian Open fourth round three times.

He also boasts world No.2 Roger Federer as a scalp, while world No.69 Mayer has knocked off Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.

Tennis ACT chief executive Kim Kachel said 17 players would use the Canberra Challenger to help fine tune ahead of the Australian Open, which starts on January 15.

"We are thrilled to announce our strongest ever field for the Canberra Challenger," he said. 

"Seventeen players in the field will complete their final preparations for Australian Open 2018 by competing here in Canberra. 

"To have former top-20 players and a field of such high calibre is a real coup. 

"We have players here who have posted multiple wins over Nadal, Federer, Murray, [Stan] Wawrinka, won ATP titles and reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.

"With 13 of the world's top-100 players and further emerging superstars, the event will provide the Canberra community the opportunity to watch world-class tennis in their own backyard." 

CANBERRA CHALLENGER

Saturday: Qualifying starts on Saturday, with the main draw action from Monday. Entry is free.