Defending champion Murray named Wimbledon top seed

DEFENDING champion Andy Murray has been seeded No 1 at Wimbledon for the first time.

The world No 1, who beat Milos Raonic to win the title for the second time in 2016, leads a top four of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Wimbledon is the only grand slam tournament where the seedings do not automatically follow the rankings, with greater weight being given to recent results on grass in the men’s event.

Djokovic and Federer are the main beneficiaries, with Djokovic, the champion in 2014 and 2015, seeded second despite having dropped to fourth in the rankings.

Federer is ranked fifth but his ninth title in Halle last week was enough to earn him the No 3 seeding ahead of world No 2 Nadal, who has struggled on grass in recent years.

It is the first time the ‘big four’ of men’s tennis have been the top four seeds at a slam since Wimbledon 2014, with world No 3 Stan Wawrinka, who has never reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon, seeded fifth.

Raonic is sixth, with Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem, Kei Nishikori and Alexander Zverev rounding off the top 10.

The women’s seedings match the rankings and are headed by world No 1 Angelique Kerber, who was beaten in the final by Serena Williams last year.

Simona Halep is seeded second, Karolina Pliskova third and Elina Svitolina fourth.

Britain’s Johanna Konta is seeded sixth – the highest for a British woman since Virginia Wade in 1979.

Jamie Murray and his Brazilian partner Bruno Soares are seeded third in the men’s doubles as they chase their first Wimbledon title.

Laura Robson will go into Wimbledon with just one win on grass behind her after losing to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4 2-6 6-4 in the first round of the Aegon Southsea Trophy.

Robson has been given a Wimbledon wild card but has shown little form on the grass, winning her only match last week in Ilkley against Anna Blinkova. Fellow Briton Katie Boulter, also a Wimbledon wild card, lost 6-2 6-2 to Andrea Petkovic.

Marcus Willis is one match away from a return to Wimbledon after winning the all-British qualifying showdown with Liam Broady. The 26-year-old, who faced Roger Federer on Centre Court last year, ran out a 7-6 (7/2) 6-7 (2/7) 6-2 winner at Roehampton in their rain-delayed clash.