Nadal seeded second ahead of Roddick

Spain's Rafael Nadal was named second seed for the Wimbledon men's singles yesterday, ahead of American Andy Roddick.

Claycourt specialist Nadal has never been beyond the third round of the grasscourt grand slam while Roddick has been runner-up the last two years to Roger Federer.

Unlike other grand slams Wimbledon organisers use a formula taking into account grasscourt performances over the last two years to determine seedings rather than purely following the rankings.

Nadal is a clear second in the men's ATP rankings having just won his second successive French Open. However, he was knocked out in the second round at Wimbledon last year and did not compete in 2004.

By being seeded second in the list he cannot meet defending champion Federer, the top seed, until the final.

As third seed Roddick, who is ranked five by the ATP, could meet Federer in the semi-finals.

Roddick's compatriot Andre Agassi, the 1992 champion widely expected to be making his final appearance at Wimbledon, is seeded 26th, six places below his ranking.

Agassi has not played at Wimbledon since 2003.

The top five women's seeds are the same as in the WTA rankings.

France's Amelie Mauresmo is top seed, followed by Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne, Russia's 2004 champion Maria Sharapova and her compatriot Nadia Petrova.

Defending champion Venus Williams is seeded seven, five places higher than her WTA ranking. She is the only American seed in the women's singles.

Earlier this week, former champion Lindsay Davenport withdrew from the Wimbledon championships.

The American, who also finished runner-up to Venus Williams last year, has been out of action since March with a shoulder problem and has failed to recover in time from the injury.

Davenport joins Venus's younger sister Serena, winner in 2002 and 2003, among the notable absentees. Serena has a knee injury.

Switzerland's Martina Hingis, the 1997 champion who is playing her first Wimbledon since 2001, is seeded 13th, two places above her WTA ranking.

China's Li Na is seeded 28, becoming the first player from her country to be seeded in a grand slam singles draw.

No British player is seeded in the men's singles with Greg Rusedski, Andy Murray and four-times Wimbledon semi-finalist Tim Henman all too far down the rankings.

The draw for the men's and women's singles takes place tomorrow with the Wimbledon fortnight starting on Monday.

Spain's Carlos Moya, Guillermo Coria of Argentina and big-serving American Taylor Dent are sidelined with injury.