| WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - Australian Mark Philippoussis got the biggest
break as Wimbledon announced its seedings Monday with five-time champion
Pete Sampras and 1997 champion Martina Hingis designated the No. 1s.
The big-serving Australian, who reached the quarterfinals last year
at Wimbledon, but is ranked only No. 11 on this week's ATP Tour ranking,
got the seventh-seed at Wimbledon.
He leapfrogged four clay-court players ranked ahead of him. One of those,
Chilean Marcelo Rios, withdrew with an injury before the seeds were announced.
The draw for the June 21-July 4 tournament was set for Tuesday. Wimbledon
is the only Grand Slam that varies from tour ranking in settings its seeding
due to the special problems of playing on grass.
After Sampras, the top six were: Patrick Rafter, Australia; Yevgeny
Kafelnikov, Russia; Andre Agassi, United States; Richard Krajicek, Netherlands;
Tim Henman, Britain.
No. 7 Philippoussis was followed by: Todd Martin, United States; Greg
Rusedski, Britain; Goran Ivanisevic, Croatia; Gustavo Kuerten, Brazil;
Carlos Moya, Spain; Karol Kucera, Slovakia; Tommy Haas, Germany; Nicolas
Kiefer, Germany; Felix Mantilla, Spain.
Kuereten, ranked No. 7 by the ATP, got the No. 11 seed at Wimbledon.
On the women's side, seven-time Wimbledon champion Steffi Graf was seeded
No. 2 despite her No. 3 WTA Tour ranking. American Lindsay Davenport was
seeded No. 3 - she's No. 2 WTA list. After that, the next four seeds followed
the WTA ranking: Monica Seles, United States; Jana Novotna, Czech Republic;
Venus Williams, United States; Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Spain.
Last year's runner-up, Nathalie Tauziat, was given the eighth seed -
just ahead of her No. 9 ranking. Mary Pierce of France, who lost in the
first round a year ago, was dropped to No. 9 despite her No. 8 ranking.
The next five places followed WTA rankings with American Serena Williams
seeded No. 10 followed by: Julie Halard-Decugis, France; Amanda Coetzer,
South Africa; Sandrine Testud, France; Barbara Schett, Austria.
France's Amelie Mauresmo, the Australian Open runner-up and ranked No.
15 by the WTA, withdrew with an injury before the seed meeting. Dominique
Van Roost of Belgium and Natasha Zvereva of Belarus each moved up a spot
from their WTA Tour ranking to claim the last two spots.
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