US Open seeding: Federer and Safina top billing

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 11:41

Five-time defending champion Roger Federer and world No.1 Dinara Safina have been named top seeds for the upcoming US Open ahead of tomorrow’s draw.

Last year’s beaten finalist Andy Murray, seeded second, will be in the opposite half of the draw from the 15-time grand slam champion, with Rafael Nadal the No.3 seed and Novak Djokovic No.4 as the USTA sticks to its policy of mirroring the rankings.

The same goes for the women’s draw, where defending champion and winner of three of the last four majors Serena Williams is the No.2 seed, behind Safina.

The Russian tops the WTA Tour rankings, based on her 52-week performance, but is yet to land a grand slam title having lost her three final appearances to date. In contrast, Serena’s only two titles in 2009 have come at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

“The US Open has the prerogative of altering its seedings but it’s something we have not availed ourselves of in quite some time,” said tournament director Jim Curley. “We certainly spoke about it, but it never got to the point where we were seriously intending to not follow the rankings.”

Serena’s elder sister Venus will be the No.3 seed in New York, with Olympic champion Elena Dementieva the No.4 seed and last year’s finalist Jelena Jankovic seeded No.5.

Elsewhere in the draws, former champions Maria Sharapova and Lleyton Hewitt have done enough during the US Open Series to earn themselves a place among the seeds.

2006 champion Sharapova, returning to form after surgery to a shoulder injury that ruled her out from the majority of 2008, will be the No.29 seed in Flushing Meadows, while Hewitt, himself charging back up the rankings after surgery to a hip injury last August, is the No.31 seed in the men’s event.

But Kim Clijsters, US Open champion in 2005, is not among the seeds after being granted a wildcard on her return to action since coming out of retirement.

Clijsters impressed in Cincinnati and Toronto with victories over top ten players Svetlana Kuznetsova and Victoria Azarenka, and could prove to be a dangerous early-round opponent for some of the big names.

Missing from the New York line-up will be French Open semi-finalist Dominika Cibulkova, who has withdrawn this week with a rib injury. Doubts also remain over the participation of Marcos Baghdatis, as the Cypriot struggles to find form after being laid low by a stress fracture in his wrist a year ago.

US Open seedings:

Men:
1. Roger Federer (SUI) 2. Andy Murray (GBR) 3. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 4. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 5. Andy Roddick (USA) 6. Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) 7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 8. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) 9. Gilles Simon (FRA) 10. Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 11. Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) 12. Robin Soderling (SWE) 13. Gael Monfils (FRA) 14. Tommy Robredo (ESP) 15. Radek Stepanek (CZE) 16. Marin Cilic (CRO) 17. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 18. David Ferrer (ESP) 19. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 20. Tommy Haas (GER) 21. James Blake (USA) 22. Sam Querrey (USA) 23. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 24. Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) 25. Mardy Fish (USA) 26. Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 27. Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 28. Victor Hanescu (ROM) 29. Igor Andreev (RUS) 30. Viktor Troicki (SRB) 31. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 32. Nicolas Almagro (ESP)

Women:
1. Dinara Safina (RUS) 2. Serena Williams (USA) 3. Venus Williams (USA) 4. Elena Dementieva (RUS) 5. Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 6. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 7. Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 8. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 9. Caroline Wozniacki (DMK) 10. Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 11. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 12. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 13. Nadia Petrova (RUS) 14. Marion Bartoli (FRA) 15. Sam Stosur (AUS) 16. Virginie Razzano (FRA) 17. Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) 18. Li Na (CHN) 19. Patty Schnyder (SUI) 20. Annabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 21. Zheng Jie (CHN) 22. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 23. Sabine Lisicki (GER) 24. Sorana Cirstea (ROM) 25. Kaia Kanepi (EST) 26. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 27. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) 28. Sybille Bammer (AUT) 29. Maria Sharapova (RUS) 30. Alona Bondarenko (UKR) 31. Elena Vesnina (RUS) 32. Agnes Szavay (HUN)

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