Martina Hingis NEW YORK, AUG 20: Martina Hingis became the youngest top seed ever at the US Open, and four-time champion Pete Sampras topped the men's list as seedings for the tournament starting Monday were announced.The 16-year-old Hingis, the reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open champion, is the youngest number one seed at the US championships since seeding was introduced in 1922.Tracy Austin was the previous youngest top seed at the age of 17 years, eight months in 1980. Hingis turns 17 on September 30.Sampras, who like Hingis captured the singles crowns in Melbourne and at Wimbledon, won the Open in 1990, 1993, 1995 and 1996. He was previously seeded number one in '94 and '96.The United States Tennis Association seeded strictly according to rankings, avoiding the controversy that raged after last year's draw, when several players bitterly objected to the way the USTA ordered them in the seedings and conducted the draw.Last year, officials staged a remarkable `do-over' by staging a new draw one day after the initial one following protests over a perceived ``manipulation'' to keep certain drawing-card players out of the same quarter.Seeded behind Sampras is Michael Chang, who has matched Sampras this season with five tournament titles.Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov is seeded third, followed by Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia and Austrian Thomas Muster. Three Spaniards follow Muster in the seedings - Alex Corretja, Sergei Bruguera and Carlos Moya.French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten is seeded ninth ahead of Chile's Marcelo Rios.On the women's side, Monica Seles is seeded second, ahead of Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic and French Open champion Iva Majoli of Croatia.South African Amanda Coetzer is seeded fifth, followed by American Lindsay Davenport, Spain's Conchita Martinez, Anke Huber of Germany, Mary Pierce of France and Spaniard Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the 10th spot.
