Melbourne - Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova were on Thursday announced as the top seeds for the men's and women's singles at next week's Australian Open.
The draw includes eight former world No 1s, all of the Top 20 men and 18 of the Top 20 women competing.
Federer, who finished world No 1 for the third successive year, won 12 titles in 2006, including three Grand Slams, four Masters Series crowns and the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup.
Sharapova tops the women's seedings for the first time, after claiming five titles in 2006 including the US Open. She has been a semifinalist here for the past two years.
In the men's, Spain's Rafael Nadal is the second seed, having missed the Australian Open last year with a left foot injury.
Greek Cypriot crowd-pleaser Marcos Baghdatis, a surprise Australian Open finalist last year, is seeded at 11.
The men's seedings also include in-form Serb Novak Djokovic at No 14 and another young star, Britain's Andy Murray at 15.
Defending women's champion, Amelie Mauresmo comes into the 2007 event seeded two after last season's two Grand Slam titles.
Kim Clijsters, embarking on her final year on the WTA Tour, is seeded No 4 after being a finalist at the 2004 Australian Open.
Sharapova leads a strong Russian contingent of eight seeds - 2004 US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova (3), Nadia Petrova (5), Elena Dementieva (7), Dinara Safina (9), Anna Chakvetadze (12), Vera Zvonareva (22) and Maria Kirilenko (26).
The women seeds could face some dangerous floaters in the draw with Australia's Alicia Molik and two-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams unseeded this year.
The Australian Open draw takes place on Friday.