The 2001 U.S. Open marks the second major tournament to seed 32 players. Tennis' Grand Slam events announced plans in June to double the number of seeded players and change the seeding process. The new system took effect at Wimbledon.

Kuerten, the French Open champion, is the top seed at Flushing Meadows for the first time. His best U.S. Open performance came in 1999, when he advanced to the quarterfinals. Last year, Kuerten suffered a shocking defeat in the opening round at the hands of Australian Wayne Arthurs.

This ends the nine-year run of an American as the top-seeded men's player. Jim Courier started the streak in 1992 and 1993 and Pete Sampras -- the 10th seed this year and finalist a year ago -- was the No. 1 player in 1994 and 1996-1999.

Agassi, this year's second seed, was the top seed here in 1995 and 2000. He will be gunning for his third U.S. Open after capturing the title in 1994 and 1999. Agassi has won four hardcourt events this year -- the Australian Open, the Tennis Masters Series at Indian Wells, the Ericsson Open and the Mercedes-Benz Cup.

Defending champion Marat Safin of Russia is seeded third followed by Lleyton Hewitt of Australia and Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain.

Hingis, the U.S. Open champion in 1997 and a finalist in 1998 and 1999, earned the top seed here for the fifth straight year. She will try to win her first Grand Slam event since the 1999 Australian Open.

American Jennifer Capriati, the reigning Australian Open and French Open champion, is seeded second at the U.S. Open for the first time. Her Grand Slam bid was halted by Belgium's Justine Henin in the semifinals at Wimbledon.

Capriati's best performance at the USTA National Tennis Center came in 1991, when she reached the final four at the age of 15.

Lindsay Davenport, the 1998 champion and 2000 runner-up, is the third seed.

Defending champion Venus Williams is seeded fourth. She won her second of three Grand Slam tournaments in impressive fashion last year, beating Hingis in the semis and Davenport in the finals. Williams also captured the last two Wimbledon crowns.

Belgium's Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin were awarded the fifth and sixth seeds, respectively.

Kuerten has displayed impressive form on hard courts this summer, recording a 15-3 mark. Long considered a claycourt specialist, the 24-year-old won the Tennis Masters Series at Cincinnati on August 12. He also reached the final of the RCA Championships at Indianapolis on Sunday, but he retired with an apparent right rib cage injury.

In both finals, Kuerten battled two-time U.S. Open champion Patrick Rafter of Australia, who is the sixth seed here.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia is seeded seventh among the men and is followed by Sebastien Grosjean of France, Tim Henman of Britain and Sampras.

Alex Corretja of Spain, who lost to Kuerten in the French Open final, is the men's No. 11 seed followed by Arnaud Clement of France, Roger Federer of Switzerland, Thomas Johansson of Sweden, Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia and Tommy Haas of Germany.

American Monica Seles, the 1991 and 1992 champion, is the seventh seed for the women, followed by France's Amelie Mauresmo and Nathalie Tauziat, and American Serena Williams, the 1999 U.S. Open titlist.

The list of the top 16 women's seeds is rounded out by Elena Dementieva of Russia, Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States, Amanda Coetzer of South Africa, Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia, Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria and Silvia Faria Elia of Italy.

The draw will be held Wednesday at the USTA National Tennis Center.