Novak Djokovic top seed for Wimbledon, over world No 1 Rafael Nadal
Wimbledon's grass court weighting system goes against grain of ATP rankings for the men
Wimbledon turned tennis upside down yesterday as Novak Djokovic was named top seed above world No 1 Rafael Nadal and defending champion Andy Murray was seeded third, ahead of seven-time winner Roger Federer.
The All England Club awarded top billing to 27-year-old Djokovic, the 2011 champion and 2013 runner-up, by using its controversial grass court weighting system instead of sticking by the ATP world rankings.
The men's seeds are based on the ATP rankings plus performance on faster grass courts over the past two years.
Murray, who became Britain's first men's champion since Fred Perry in 1936 when he beat Djokovic in last year's final, has been elevated to the third seeding
French Open champion Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 Wimbledon winner, although top of the men's world rankings, is second seed after losing in the first round in 2013 and second round 12 months earlier.
Murray, who became Britain's first men's champion since Fred Perry in 1936 when he beat Djokovic in last year's final, has been elevated to the third seeding despite a world ranking of five.
Federer, a shock second-round loser to Sergei Stakhovsky last year, won the last of his seven titles in 2012. He was handed the fourth seeding, in line with his current ranking.
World No 3 Stan Wawrinka has never got beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon and that modest form is reflected in his fifth seeding.
The women's seedings, by contrast, follow the WTA world rankings, with five-time champion Serena Williams top, followed by China's Li Na, Simona Halep of Romania third and Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska taking fourth spot.
Maria Sharapova, the champion at Wimbledon 10 years ago as a 17-year-old, is seeded fifth.
The 27-year-old Russian is trying to become the first woman since Williams in 2002 to complete the French Open-Wimbledon double.
Serena's elder sister and five-time champion Venus Williams was seeded 30th, while two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus was made the No 8 seed.
