TheSportsCampus

The list of seeds for the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open at Melbourne Park were announced today, and as has been the case in recent times the Big 4 continue to tow the line set by the ATP and WTA Tours. Gone are the days when seeds were announced at the discretion of the organizers forcing crazed fans to look at the lists in all eagerness wondering what numbers their favourites were assigned.

While the current system eliminates both vagueness and partiality, it also removes any sense of mystery surrounding the game. Imagine if the Australian Open organizers had been adventurous enough to hand former champion Justine Henin a top 16 seeding on the grounds that she is more than likely to make the second week. Shudder the thought!

While that may be true, the current system does give the deserving their place in sun. No.32 seed in the ladies draw Carla Suarez Navarro would have surely been screaming bloody murder had she been knocked off the rankings and found herself facing a Serena Williams in the first round.

The draw itself will take place tomorrow. Though it is not easy to overlook a men's draw filled to the brim with talent and power, led by 15-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, sadly we must. It is surely the women's draw that everyone, including the seeds themselves will be paying attention to, seeing what lady luck has in store for them. Bless ye we pray for she who draws Justine Henin in round 1.

The official draw will take place at 10.45am and will have the rather odd tennis couple in attendance. The legendary John McEnroe and the darling of the current generation Ana Ivanovic.

The full list of men's and women's singles seeds are as follows:

Men's seeds:

Top 8: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro, Andy Murray, Nikolay Davydenko, Andy Roddick, Robin Soderling
Nos. 9-16: Fernando Verdasco, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Fernando Gonzalez, Gael Monfils, Radek Stepanek, Marin Cilic, Gilles Simon, Tommy Robredo
Nos. 17-32: David Ferrer, Tommy Haas, Stanislas Wawrinka, Mikhail Youzhny, Tomas Berdych, Lleyton Hewitt, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Ivan Ljubicic, Sam Querrey, Nicolas Almagro, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Jurgen Melzer, Viktor Troicki, Juan Monaco, Albert Montanes, Jeremy Chardy

Women's seeds:

Top 8: Serena Williams, Dinara Safina, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Caroline Wozniacki, Elena Dementieva, Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Jelena Jankovic
Nos. 9-16: Vera Zvonareva, Agnieszka Radwanska, Marion Bartoli, Flavia Pennetta, Samantha Stosur, Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters, Na Li
Nos. 17-32: Francesca Schiavone, Virginie Razzano, Nadia Petrova, Ana Ivanovic, Sabine Lisicki, Daniela Hantuchova, Dominika Cibulkova, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Anabel Medina Garrigues, Aravane Rezai, Alisa Kleybanova, Elena Vesnina, Shahar Peer, Kateryna Bondarenko, Alona Bondarenko, Carla Suarez Navarro

File Photograph: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix