Nadal top seeded Down Under

MELBOURNE: Six-time champion Novak Djokovic will lurk as 14th seed for next week’s Australian Open in Melbourne, with Rafael Nadal seeded top, organisers said yesterday.

Nadal heads defending champion Roger Federer at the top of the men’s seedings, with Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki seeded one and two in the women’s competition.

Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori are out injured and women’s champion Serena Williams opted not to play after giving birth in September.

Djokovic had pulled out of a warm-up tournament in Abu Dhabi, raising concerns over his fitness ahead of the year’s opening Grand Slam.

Federer, seeded second, will bid for his 20th Grand Slam title in the bottom half of the draw.

Former winner Stan Wawrinka is seeded at nine.

In a women’s field notably missing 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, there appear to be many chances of a new Australian Open champion this year.

Spain’s Garbine Muguruza is seeded third, while Serena’s sister Venus has the fifth seeding.

Meanwhile, Federer will open his title defence against Slovenian Aljaz Bedene, while top seed Rafa Nadal, the losing finalist last year, was paired with Dominican Victor Estrella Burgos at the draw yesterday.

Top seed Simona faces Australian wildcard Destanee Aiava in the first round, with second seed Caroline starting out against Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu.

2008 champion Maria Sharapova will face Tatjana Maria.

Men’s third seed Grigor Dimitrov will face a qualifier with Alexander Zverev, ranked fourth, playing Italian Thomas Fabbiano but with 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka, returning after a spell sidelines after surgery, in his section of the draw.

Six-times Melbourne Park champion Novak Djokovic, seeded 14th after missing the back end of last season with an elbow injury, will take on American lefthander Donald Young with a potential tie against Wawrinka or Zverev in the quarter-final. Agencies