ESPN.com - TENNIS - Kuerten is first Brazilian top seed at a Grand Slam

 
Tuesday, January 23
Kuerten is first Brazilian top seed at a Grand Slam



MELBOURNE, Australia -- Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil and three-time champion Martina Hingis of Switzerland on Thursday were tabbed as the top seeds at next week's Australian Open.

Gustavo Kuerten
Last year's No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten will look to continue his winning ways when the Australian Open begins.

Kuerten is the first player from South America to secure the top seed at a Grand Slam event since Argentina's Guillermo Vilas was the No. 1 seed at this event each year from 1977-81.

A two-time French Open champion, Kuerten ended 2000 as the top-ranked men's player after a stunning victory at the Tennis Masters Cup in Lisbon.

Russia's Marat Safin, the reigning U.S. Open champion, is seeded second as tournament officials adhered strictly to the year-end rankings on both the men's and women's sides.

Two-time Australian Open champ Pete Sampras is the third seed, followed by Sweden's Magnus Norman and 1999 winner Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia. Defending champion Andre Agassi is seeded sixth, with Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, Britain's Tim Henman, Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero and South Africa's Wayne Ferreira rounding out the top 10.

Franco Squillari of Argentina, two-time U.S. Open champion Patrick Rafter of Australia, Cedric Pioline of France, Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia and Frenchmen Arnaud Clement and Sebastien Grosjean are the remaining men's seeds.

Hingis is the top women's seed for the third time in five trips to Melbourne. Her bid for a fourth straight Australian Open title was ended by Lindsay Davenport in last year's final.

Davenport is seeded second, one spot ahead of fellow American Venus Williams, who is the reigning Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Olympic champion. Four-time Australian Open champ Monica Seles is the fourth seed and is followed by Spain's Conchita Martinez and Williams' younger sister, 1999 U.S. Open winner Serena.

France's Mary Pierce, who won here in 1995, is next, followed by a pair of Russians in Anna Kournikova and U.S. Open semifinalist Elena Dementieva. South Africa's Amanda Coetzer is 10th with Americans Chanda Rubin and 2000 semifinalist Jennifer Capriati filling the next two spots.

Sandrine Testud of Frrance, Kim Clijsters of Belgium and Amy Frazier of the United States are the other women's seeds.

The draw for the first Grand Slam of the year will be announced Friday. The Australian Open begins Monday (Sunday night in the United States).

 




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