The top eight men's seeds
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Your support makes all the difference.1 LLEYTON HEWITT
Born: Adelaide, Australia, 24 Feb 1981.
Lives: Adelaide.
Height: 5ft 11in. Weight: 10st 5lb.
Plays: Right-handed.
Prize money: £4.15m.
Wimbledon record: 3rd rd (1999), 1, 4.
A magnificent second half to last year saw him win his first Grand Slam singles title at the United States Open and end the season as world No 1. Winner of the Stella Artois grass court title three years in a row, defeating Tim Henman in the last two finals at Queen's. Stomach upset curtailed his preparation last week.
2 MARAT SAFIN
Born: Moscow, Russia, 27 Jan 1980.
Lives: Monte Carlo.
Height: 6ft 4in. Weight: 12st 12lb.
Plays: Right-handed.
Prize money: £5.05m.
Wimbledon record: 1st rd (1998), –, 2, QF.
Lost to Goran Ivanisevic in the quarter-finals last year, which suggests that the 2000 US Open champion is finding his feet on grass. He is capable of winning every tournament he enters provided his mind is in sync with his game.
3 ANDRE AGASSI
Born: Las Vegas, 29 April 1970.
Lives: Las Vegas.
Height: 5ft 11in. Weight: 11st 8lb.
Plays: Right-handed.
Prize money: £17.5m.
Wimbledon record: 1st rd (1987), –, –, –, QF, W, QF, 4, SF, 1, –,2, F, SF, SF.
Served for the match against Pat Rafter at 5-4 in the fifth set of their semi-final last year, with the Australian prevailing, 8-6. Missed the Australian Open with a wrist injury, since when he has won the Masters Series events in Key Biscayne and Rome. Has everything it takes to add to his triumph here in 1992.
4 TIM HENMAN
Born: Oxford, 6 Sept 1974.
Lives: London.
Height: 6ft 1in. Weight: 11st 1lb.
Plays: Right-handed.
Prize money: £5.11m.
Wimbledon record: 1st rd (1994), 2, QF, QF, SF, SF, 4, SF.
His record shows that he is a natural on grass courts, but he has yet to win a title on his favourite surface. Rain delays and Goran Ivanisevic prevented him from advancing to the final here last year. Believes he has improved over the past 12 months and is ready to take the final step. A nation waits, and hopes.
5 YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV
Born: Sochi, Russia, 18 Feb 1974.
Lives: Monte Carlo.
Height: 6ft 3in.
Weight: 12st 5lb.
Plays: Right-handed.
Prize money: £14.72m
Wimbledon record: 3rd rd (1994), QF, 1, 4, 1, 3, 2, 3.
A winner at the French Open in 1996, the Australian Open in 1999, and the Olympic Games in 2000, Kafelnikov tends to play more tournaments, singles and doubles, than his fellow competitors, but blows hot and cold. Splendid on his good days, forgettable when the mood does not take him.
6 PETE SAMPRAS
Born: Washington DC, 12 Aug 1971.
Lives: Los Angeles, California.
Height: 6ft 1in. Weight: 12st 2lb.
Prize money: £30.2m.
Wimbledon record: 1st rd (1989), 1, 2, SF, W, W, W, QF, W, W, W, W, 4.
The winner of seven Wimbledon singles championships and a record 13 Grand Slam singles titles, the great man now finds that the most quoted statistic concerns his inability to win a title anywhere since defeating Pat Rafter in the final here two years ago. Seems to be on the wane, but may not regard the tournament to be as wide open as others do.
7 ROGER FEDERER
Born: Basle, Switzerland, 8 Aug 1981.
Lives: Munchenstein, Switzerland.
Height: 6ft 1in. Weight: 12st 6lb.
Plays: Right-handed.
Prize money: £1,79m.
Wimbledon record: 1st rd (1999), 1, QF.
The Sampras slayer of last year, when he ended the American's run of 31 consecutive winning matches at Wimbledon, is one of the favourites to capitalise over the next fortnight. Hampered by a groin injury last year, Federer was unable to extend Henman beyond four sets in the quarter-finals. It will be interesting to see if he has benefited from the experience.
8 THOMAS JOHANSSON
Born: Linkoping, Sweden, 24 March 1975.
Lives: Monte Carlo.
Height: 5ft 11in. Weight: 11sr 7lb.
Plays: Right-handed.
Prize money: £2.7m.
Wimbledon record: 4th rd (1996), 2, 3, 2, 4, 2.
Made his major breakthrough by winning the Australian Open in January. Also will be remembered for winning the deciding fifth rubber against Greg Rusedski to give Sweden a 3-2 win against Britain in the first round of the Davis Cup World Group in February. A solid serve enables him to profit from his impressive movement.
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