World number one Andy Roddick took his place at the top of the draw for next week's Australian Open and his female counterpart Justine Henin-Hardenne was named top seed in the women's field.
Roddick, a semi-finalist at Melbourne Park last year, had a sparkling 2003, becoming the youngest American, at 21 years and two months, in the history of the ATP rankings to finish the year as world number one, and winning his first Grand Slam at the U.S. Open.
Defending champion Andre Agassi was named fourth seed. He is aiming to win a fifth title in Melbourne, having won in 1995, 2000, 2001 and 2003.
At 33 years and eight months, Agassi is the oldest direct entry in the men's draw and still the man to beat.
Seeded second is Wimbledon and Tennis Masters Cup champion Roger Federer, followed by French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, a quarter-finalist here last year.
Two Australians made the seeds, Mark Philippoussis at 10 and number 15 Lleyton Hewitt. Neither has been past the fourth round at Melbourne Park.
Philippoussis was a Wimbledon finalist last year and Hewitt will be desperate to add his home Grand Slam to the U.S. Open and Wimbledon titles already under his belt.
WOMEN'S DRAW
In the women's draw, French and US Open champion Henin-Hardenne will top the Melbourne seedings for the first time. Her Belgian compatriot, Kim Clijsters, is seeded second.
Clijsters finished runner-up to Henin-Hardenne in both Paris and New York last year and her chances of going one better have not been helped by a foot injury which forced her out of warm-ups in Perth and Sydney.
Returning from an injury which kept her out of the game since the Wimbledon final in July she lost to sister Serena is Venus Williams. Last year's runner-up has been vaulted from her world ranking of 11 to number three seed under a WTA plan.
She will be keen to keep the Williams name in the winners' circle and add the Australian Open to her US Open and Wimbledon successes. France's Amelie Mauresmo is fourth followed by 2000 champion Lindsay Davenport at five.
The Seedings:
List of men's seeds:
1. Andy Roddick (U.S.) 2. Roger Federer (Switzerland) 3. Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) 4. Andre Agassi (U.S.) 5. Guillermo Coria (Argentina) 6. Rainer Schuettler (Germany) 7. Carlos Moya (Spain) 8. David Nalbandian (Argentina) 9. Sebastien Grosjean (France) 10. Mark Philippoussis (Australia) 11. Tim Henman (Britain) 12. Nicolas Massu (Chile) 13. Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) 14. Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) 15. Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 16. Sjeng Schalken (Netherlands) 17. Martin Verkerk (Netherlands) 18. Younes El Aynaoui (Morocco) 19. Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil) 20. Tommy Robredo (Spain) 21. Mardy Fish (U.S.) 22. Agustin Calleri (Argentina) 23. Felix Mantilla (Spain) 24. Max Mirnyi (Belarus) 25. Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) 26. Albert Costa (Spain) 27. Taylor Dent (U.S.) 28. Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 29. Vincent Spadea (U.S.) 30. Arnaud Clement (France) 31. Wayne Ferreira (South Africa) 32. Robby Ginepri (U.S.)
List of women's seeds:
1. Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) 2. Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 3. Venus Williams (U.S.) 4. Amelie Mauresmo (France) 5. Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) 6. Anastasia Myskina (Russia) 7. Elena Dementieva (Russia) 8. Ai Sugiyama (Japan) 9. Chanda Rubin (U.S.) 10. Nadia Petrova (Russia) 11. Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 12. Paola Suarez (Argentina) 13. Conchita Martinez (Spain) 14. Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi (Israel) 15. Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 16. Magui Serna (Spain) 17. Meghann Shaughnessy (U.S.) 18. Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 19. Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 20. Silvia Farina Elia (Italy) 21. Elena Bovina (Russia) 22. Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) 23. Lina Krasnoroutskaya (Russia) 24. Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) 25. Lisa Raymond (U.S.) 26. Tina Pisnik (Slovenia) 27. Amanda Coetzer (South Africa) 28. Maria Sharapova (Russia) 29. Nathalie Dechy (France) 30. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 31. Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) 32. Fabiola Zuluaga (Colombia)
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