MELBOURNE — World No. 1s Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams were named the top seeds Wednesday for next week's Australian Open, but two-time champion Victoria Azarenka did not make the top 32. Djokovic is bidding for a fifth title at Melbourne Park after crashing in the quarterfinals last year to eventual champion Stan Wawrinka, while Williams is gunning for a sixth Australian crown. Evergreen Roger Federer, who has a record 17 Grand Slam titles, is the second seed ahead of injury-plagued Rafael Nadal, Wawrinka and Japan's Kei Nishikori. Maria Sharapova, who won the Brisbane International last weekend, takes the No. 2 seeding among the women, ahead of Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova and Ana Ivanovic. Azarenka ended 2014 ranked 32 in the world, but a first-round loss at the Brisbane International saw her drop to 41, outside the cut-off for seedings at Melbourne Park. Del Potro ousts Fognini In Sydney, defending champion Juan Martin del Potro came from a set down to dump top seed Italian Fabio Fognini 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 and advanced to the quarterfinals Wednesday. The Argentine is playing in the Sydney tournament on a wildcard for his first event since last February following an injury-ravaged 2014 season during which he had surgery on his left wrist. The former US Open champion will meet Kazakhstan qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin, who upset Uruguayan sixth seed Pablo Cuevas 7-5, 7-5 in the last eight. Second seed David Goffin also followed Fognini out of the tournament, after losing to Italian Simone Bolelli. Bolelli downed the Belgian 6-3, 6-3 and next faces Serbian qualifier Viktor Troicki in the last four. Troicki eliminated Spaniard Pablo Andujar 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. On the women's side, Tsvetana Pironkova's stretched her Sydney International winning streak to 14 matches with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Barbora Zahlavova Strycova to reach the semifinals. Pironkova will face Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova who survived a two-hour epic duel with Australian wildcard Jarmila Gajdosova 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. World No.22 Karolina Pliskova also won through to the semifinals after seeing off Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0. Nishikori, Verdasco advance In Melbourne, Japan's Kei Nishikori and Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco scored a pair of opening victories amid a “little typhoon” to begin final Australian Open preparations at the Kooyong Classic Wednesday. US Open finalist Nishikori fought past a tough Australian challenge from Jordan Thompson to post a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4) result, while Verdasco beat Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-2, 7-6 (7-4). France's Richard Gasquet, meanwhile, beat Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-2. Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov also beat Filip Krajinovic of Serbia 6-4, 6-3. — Agencies
