Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki named as top US Open seed

World No2 Caroline Wozniacki has been named as the top women’s seed at next week’s US Open in New York ahead of Thursday’s draw.

It marks the first time that Wozniacki, who lost to Kim Clijsters in the 2009 final at Flushing Meadows, has been handed the number one seed at a Grand Slam singles event.

Clijsters, her conqueror last year, has been handed the No2 seed, while home favourite and two-time New York champion Venus Williams is seeded third. Wozniacki and Clijsters currently lead the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour this year with three singles titles each.

After a breakthrough season in 2009 in which she won three titles and reached her first Grand Slam final at the US Open, Wozniacki, 20, has continued her strong play in 2010 with three more titles, including a victory on Tuesday at the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

In addition to Clijsters and Venus Williams, former US Open champions seeded at this year’s tournament are No11 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and No14 seed Maria Sharapova. Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion, is seeded sixth.

World No1 Serena Williams was forced to withdraw from this year’s US Open due to injury.

US Open Top 10 Seeds – Women’s Singles:

1. Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark
2. Kim Clijsters, Belgium
3. Venus Williams, United States
4. Jelena Jankovic, Serbia
5. Samantha Stosur, Australia
6. Francesca Schiavone, Italy
7. Vera Zvonareva, Russia
8. Li Na, China
9. Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland
10. Victoria Azarenka, Belarus