MELBOURNE, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- With their health in question, Lleyton Hewitt and defending champion Jennifer Capriati were named the top seeds Wednesday for next week's Australian Open.
Hewitt became the first Australian seeded No. 1 at the Australian Open since Ken Rosewall in 1976. However, the 20-year-old Hewitt is suffering from chicken pox.
Capriati's bid for her third career Grand Slam took a hit Wednesday when she sustained a hip flexor during a second-round loss at the adidas International in Sydney. She was awarded the No. 1 seed after the withdrawal of top-ranked Lindsay Davenport on Monday with a knee injury.
The second seeds are Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil and reigning Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion Venus Williams of the United States. Kuerten, who has never reached the third round in five trips to Melbourne, has not played a match this year while
Williams already owns a tournament win at last week's Australian Women's Hardcourt Championships.
American Andre Agassi is seeded third as he tries to win his third straight and fourth overall Australian Open crown.
Switzerland's Martina Hingis, a three-time winner and runner-up on two occasions, is the third seed among the women. Hingis also is on the comeback trail after an ankle injury at the end of last season. She has not captured a tournament since February and a Grand Slam since she captured the title here in 1999.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, who won here three years ago, is seeded fourth on the men's side, followed by Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero, last year's semifinalist Sebastien Grosjean of France, Britain's Tim Henman, Tommy Haas of Germany, two-time champion Pete Sampras of the United States, and Russian Marat Safin.
Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia, who did not qualify for the main draw last year, is the 11th seed, while last year's finalist Arnaud Clement of France is seeded No. 16.
French Open runner-up Kim Clijsters of Belgium is seeded fifth, ahead of American Serena Williams, Wimbledon finalist Justine Henin of Belgium, Amelie Mauresmo of France, who reached the final in 1999, and four-time champion Monica Seles of the United States.
This is the first time the Australian Open will use 32 seeds, a practice that started with Wimbledon last year.
