Azarenka named top seed for US Open

NEW YORK (AFP) –

World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, pictured on August 9, was named on Wednesday as top seed for the US Open women’s tournament that begins Monday.

World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, the reigning Australian Open champion, was named on Wednesday as top seed for the US Open women’s tournament that begins Monday.

World No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who lost the Wimbledon final to 14-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, was named the second seed for the fortnight on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts.

Russian Maria Sharapova, who completed a career Grand Slam with her fourth major title at this year’s French Open, was named the third seed while Williams, a three-time US Open winner, was named the fourth seed.

Williams captured last month’s Wimbledon title and won the London Olympics singles gold medal and women’s doubles title with her sister Venus at the event, also played on the Wimbledon grass.

Australian Samantha Stosur, the defending champion, was named seventh seed while three-time winner Kim Clijsters of Belgium, who has won 21 matches in a row at the tournament, is the 23rd seed in her farewell US Open appearance.

Two-time champion Venus Williams is the only former US Open champion not seeded in the field.