Djokovic bumped up to second seed

Three-time champion Novak Djokovic has been bumped up to second seed for next week’s Wimbledon championship despite slipping to fourth in the ATP world rankings while seven-time champion Roger Federer has also benefited.

The seedings, released by the All England Club on Wednesday, have defending champion Andy Murray No. 1 in the men’s singles with Germany’s Angelique Kerber the women’s top seed.

Wimbledon differs from the other Grand Slams, in the men’s singles at least, with previous form on grass in the previous two years coming into play to re-order the top 32 in the world rankings – a system agreed by the ATP.

Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who won a 10th French Open last month, is second in the ATP rankings but will be seeded fourth at Wimbledon after a mediocre record there in recent years. JUST 12 MONTHS ago, Novak Djokovic arrived at Wimbledon with the world at his feet. He returns with his career in at a crossroads after an astonishing fall from grace.

Despite winning the title twice, the 31-year-old has not been past the fourth round since 2011.

Favorite Federer, fifth on the ATP rankings, is seeded third which means he will avoid one of his biggest rivals for the title until the semifinals.

Fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka, runner-up at the French, drops to fifth seed, from his world ranking of three.

Other beneficiaries of the system include Luxembourg’s grass-court expert Gilles Muller who is seeded 16th compared to an ATP ranking of 26. Muller won the recent Den Bosch tournament and reached the semifinal at Queen’s Club last week.

Queen’s Club champion Feliciano Lopez, ranked 25, is seeded 19th.

The women’s seeds stick strictly with the current WTA rankings. Romania’s Simon Halep, who could take over the top spot this week if she wins the Eastbourne title, is seeded second.

McEnroe regrets Serena comments

Meanwhile, John McEnroe on Wednesday said he regretted recently saying Serena Williams would be ranked “like 700 in the world” if she had to play on the men’s circuit and said he was surprised by the controversy his comments ignited.

McEnroe previously said that Williams, a record 23-time Grand Slam champion in the professional era, was the best female player ever but then declined to label her the best player overall, prompting Williams to ask McEnroe for “respect.”

“It would have been better not to have said it. I didn’t realize it would create something like this,” he told reporters on an ESPN conference call ahead of the July 3 start of Wimbledon.

“It would have been easier to leave it. Look, she’s a great player and it’s apples and oranges.”

“This is not something that has been earth shattering, that I feel there’s a difference in the level of the women and the men,” he said. (Reuters)