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Seeds sown

Aces high: Djokovic and Wozniacki named as top seeds for Australian Open

The seedings have been announced for the first Grand Slam of the tennis season in Melbourne. Exciting.

WORLD NUMBER ONES Novak Djokovic and Caroline Wozniacki have been confirmed as the top seeds for the men and women’s singles ahead of next week’s Australian Open.

Djokovic, whose win in Melbourne last year kick-started a 43-match unbeaten start to the season, has been seeded first in the men’s tournament with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in second and third.

The remainder of the seedings mirror the current ATP world rankings, with Britain’s Andy Murray ranked fourth ahead of David Ferrer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

In the women’s singles, all eyes will be on Wozniacki as the top seed goes in search of her first Grand Slam title. The 21-year-old Dane crashed out of last year’s tournament to Li Na at the semi-final stage.

Petra Kvitova, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova round out the top four seeds, while defending champion Kim Clijsters is 12th.

Clijsters was forced to withdraw from last week’s Brisbane International when she injured her hip during her semi-final against Daniela Hantuchova, but maintained that she would be fit in time for the first day of play in Melbourne on Monday.

“It should take a little under a week to get completely healed, so that’s what I’m obviously hoping for and aiming for,” Clijsters said on Friday. “I do have a good feeling about this one.”

Serena Williams, whose hopes of adding another Australian Open title to her haul were hit by an ankle injury last month, has been seeded 13th. Five of Williams’ 13 Grand Slam singles titles have come in Melbourne.

The draw for both the men and women’s singles tournaments takes place on Friday. Play at the Rod Laver Arena is scheduled to begin on Monday morning.

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