Last year's champion Lleyton Hewitt has been made seed for next week's
Wimbledon championships, ahead of world number one Andre Agassi.
Unlike every other tournament in the world, Wimbledon
refuses to stick to the ATP's world rankings, instead using a combination of
rankings and grasscourt form over recent years when determining men's seeds.
Britain's Tim Henman also profited from this unique system. Four times a
semi-finalist at the grasscourt grand slam, he was seeded 10th by the organisers
on Monday despite being ranked just 29th in the world.
The decision to seed Australian world number two Hewitt top and to elevate
Henman some 19 places is sure to stoke the debate about Wimbledon's
controversial seeding methods.
Hewitt himself, however, is not remotely bothered.
"Number one or number two... top or bottom. I couldn't care less, mate," he
said when asked whether it was an issue last week.
However, the tournament does stick to the women's world rankings for their
seeds.
World number one and defending champion Serena Williams was seeded top in
that draw, followed by Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne with
Serena's elder sister Venus seeded fourth.
ARGENTINE CLAYCOURTER
Agassi took over from Hewitt at the top of the rankings this week after
reaching the semi-finals of the Stella Artois Championships at Queen's Club,
becoming the oldest world number one since rankings began in 1973.
The 33-year-old American was champion here in 1992 and despite falling in the
second round last year has had an excellent record at Wimbledon in recent years.
He was runner-up in 1999 and a semi-finalist the next two years.
Claycourt specialist and French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero -- who has
never progressed beyond the third round of the grasscourt grand slam -- has been
seeded third.
Grasscourt champions Roger Federer and Andy Roddick were seeded next.
Federer, champion in Halle last week, is fourth, one place ahead of the
Stella Artois champion Roddick.
Last year's runner-up David Nalbandian was placed sixth, ahead of fellow
Argentine claycourter Guillermo Coria with Dutchman Sjeng Schalken eighth and
Rainer Schuettler of Germany ninth.
Martin Verkerk, yet to step onto a grass court when the seedings were made,
was seeded 21st after his heroics at the French Open where he reached the final.
The Dutchman will play his first grasscourt match at the Ordina Open in Den
Bosch on Tuesday.
Wimbledon runs from June 23 to July 6.
