Australian Open organizers have stuck with convention and kept the seedings for the season's first major in line with WTA and ATP rankings, meaning Caroline Wozniacki will be top seed in the women's draw even if she loses top spot to Petra Kvitova at the Sydney International this week. Defending champion Novak Djokovic is seeded No. 1 in the men's draw. He is followed by 2009 champion Rafael Nadal, four-time champion Roger Federer and Andy Murray, who has lost the past two finals at the Australian Open. Of the top 32 men, only Robin Soderling and Marin Cilic are absent. Wimbledon champion Kvitova can move from No. 2 to No. 1 in the rankings by winning the Sydney International — where nine of the top 10 women are playing, including Wozniacki — but too late to affect Australian Open seedings list. All the top 32 women have entered the Melbourne draw. Defending women's champion Kim Clijsters (hip) and 2010 champion Serena Williams (left ankle) sustained injuries during the Brisbane International last week, but both are expected to play at the Australian Open. Clijsters is seeded No. 12, one spot above Serena, who was unable to defend her Australian title last year due to prolonged injury. Serena has lost only twice at Melbourne Park since winning the title in 2003 — missing tournaments in 2004 and 2011 and winning the title five times. The draw for the tournament will be held Friday morning. Mattek-Sands advances In Hobart, Bethanie Mattek-Sands recovered from an early break to beat 15-year-old Wimbledon junior champion Ashleigh Barty 6-2, 6-2 Monday to advance to the second round of the Hobart International. Mattek-Sands, who played for the US at the Hopman Cup last week and was a finalist here last year, will next play Romania's Soran Cirstea. Top-seeded Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium advanced 7-5, 6-4 over New Zealander Marina Erakovic and fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany defeated Elena Vesnina of Russia 6-2, 6-4. In other results at the Australian Open tuneup event, Sara Errani of Italy beat Johanna Larsson of Sweden 6-3, 6-3 and Australia's Casey Dellacqua fended off Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. Falla outsmarts Young In Auckland, Colombian Alejandro Falla recovered from a poor start to beat American Donald Young 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the Auckland ATP tournament Monday. In the other completed first round matches, Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil beat Portugal's Rui Machado 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) while Santiago Giraldo of Colombia beat Michael Venus of New Zealand 6-4, 6-3. ‘Lendl missing ingredient' John McEnroe was surprised when Andy Murray named Ivan Lendl as his new coach but thinks his old rival may prove to be the missing ingredient the Briton needs to take his career to the next level. World No. 4 Murray has been runner-up in three rand slam finals, including at the last two Australian Opens, but has been blown away in them all, continuing his country's long wait for a men's champion in the sport's four major tournaments. “I hate to give credit to Lendl but (Murray) needed to do something out of the ordinary instead of going with the predictable re-tread,” McEnroe told reporters in Adelaide Monday.
