Friday 22 August 2014 18:23, UK
Serena Williams has been confirmed as the top seed for the US Open, the year's final grand slam tournament which begins on Monday at Flushing Meadows.
The world No 1, who is looking to win her third consecutive US Open title, was named the top seed in the women’s draw.
Williams has been named top seed on two prior occasions – 2002 and 2013 – and won the tournament both times while also winning in 1999, 2008 and 2012.
The Americian is a five-time Wimbledon and Australian Open champion and also lists two French Open titles among her 17 slam singles' crowns.
Adding another trophy to her career haul after the Flushing Meadows fortnight would put Williams, 32, level with Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert as the second-best all-time slam singles title winners of the Open era, behind Steffi Graf's record 22 titles.
Romania's Simona Halep, runner-up at this year's French Open, was made the second seed followed by Czech Petra Kvitova, who last month captured her second Wimbledon crown, and Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in fourth.
World No 2 Li Na of China withdrew in July because of a knee injury but, otherwise, the US Tennis Association followed ranking in setting the top seeds.
Russia's Maria Sharapova, the reigning French Open champion and 2006 US Open winner, was made the fifth seed.
You can watch the US Open live on Sky Sports 3 from 4.00pm on Monday.
US Open women’s seeds:
1. Serena Williams (USA)
2. Simona Halep (Rom)
3 Petra Kvitova (Cze)
4. Agnieska Radwanska (Pol)
5. Maria Sharapova (Rus)
6. Angelique Kerber (Ger)
7. Eugenie Bouchard (Can)
8. Ana Ivanovic (Ser)
9. Jelena Jankovic (Ser)
10. Caroline Wozniacki (Den)
11. Flavia Pennetta (Ita)
12. Dominika Cibulkova (Slk)
13. Sara Errani (Ita)
14. Lucie Safarova (Cze)
15. Carla Suarez Navarro (Spa)
16. Victoria Azarenka (Blr)
17. Ekaterina Makarova (Rus)
18. Andrea Petkovic (Rus)
19. Venus Williams (USA)
20. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus)
21. Sloane Stephens (USA)
22. Alize Corner (Fra)
23. Anatasia Pavlyuchenkova (Rus)
24. Samantha Stosur (Aus)
25. Garbine Muguruza (Spa)
26. Sabine Lisicki (Ger)
27. Madison Keys (USA)
28. Roberta Vinci (Ita)
29. Casey Dellacqua (Aus)
30. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (Cze)
31. Kurumi Nara (Jpn)
32. Zhang Shuai (Chn)
