Nadal, Davenport top seeds in China Open
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-09-10 16:24

French Open champion Rafael Nadal and world number one female tennis player Lindsay Davenport were named as top seeds for China Open starting here on Saturday following the official ATP and WTA rnakings respectively.

Two workers walk past a billboard featuring tennis stars Maria Sharapova (L) and Lindsay Davenport, at the Beijing Tennis Center Friday Sept. 9, 2005. The China Open tennis tournament, featuring Sharapova, Davenport and many other top tennis players, begins at the center Saturday Sept. 10. [AP]

The world number two Nadal, 19, who has won nine titles this year, will make his China Open debut as a strong favorite as reigning Australian Open champion Russian Marat Safin had ruled himself out of the title defending campaign in the 500,000 US dollars ATP tournament two weeks ago and his compatriot Nikoay Davydenko, ranked 5th, withdrew from the tournament Tuesday due to injury.

World number nine Guillermo Coria was seeded second ahead of the 12-ranked fellow Argentine David Nalbandian, while the 15-ranked Swede Thomas Johansson was seeded fourth and the 24th-ranked Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia fifth.

Still there are challenges for teenager Nadal from former world number one Carlos Moya, fellow Spanish clay-court specialist Juan Carlos Ferrero, Argentine Guillermo Coria, and top Asian netman Paradorn Srichaphan from Thailand.

With her world number position at stake after U.S. Open exit, Davenport was seeded ahead of potential usurper Maria Sharapova of Russia in the 585,000 US dollars China Open WTA tournament.

Seven grand slam titles holder and defending champion Serena Williams was seeded third with her sister, fivetime grand slam champion Venus Williams at number four, one place ahead of Australian star Alicia Molik.

Peng Shuai and Li Na, who have entered the main draw of the China Open WTA tournament with 32nd and 43rd world rankings, were seeded 11th and 15th respectively in the women's singles play and will fight for the hosts' glory.

Olympic women's doubles gold medalist Sun Tiantian and former No.1 tennis player of China Zheng Jie, ranked 54th in the world, will have to qualify with wildcards.

The annually tourney, which is catching the eyes of more and more tennis-mania fans all over the world and had arisen tennis fever in China with its initial edition a year ago, has been slated from September 10 to 25, and will be played on hardcourt at the Beijing Tennis Center with events of men's, women's, juniors' and seniors' brackets.

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