Murray the fourth seed as he bids to end wait for grand slam

The seedings have given top billing to Novak Djokovic and Caroline Wozniacki.

Serbian Djokovic, after a 2011 season that saw him become world No 1, tops the men’s side of the draw from Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Brisbane International winner Murray.

Spain’s David Ferrer is seeded fifth, ahead of Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Czech Tomas Berdych, American Mardy Fish, Serbian Janko Tipsarevic and Spanish clay-court specialist Nicolas Almagro.

Wozniacki heads to Melbourne still searching for an elusive grand slam title and in danger of relinquishing her women’s No 1 ranking to Czech Petra Kvitova, who is the second seed. Belarusian Victoria Azarenka is third and Maria Sharapova fourth.

Last year’s Australian Open runner-up, Li Na, is seeded fifth, with US Open champion and local hope Samantha Stosur sixth.

Russian Vera Zvonareva is the seventh seed, in front of Pole Agnieszka Radwanska, Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli and German Andrea Petkovic.

Stosur’s preparations hit another hurdle as she was beaten in straight sets by Francesca Schiavone in the first round of the Sydney International.

Stosur never looked likely against her conqueror in the 2010 French Open final, giving up five breaks of serve against the world No 11 before going down 6-2 6-4 in one hour and 30 minutes.

Stosur’s loss, coming on the back of a second-round defeat at the Brisbane International by Czech Iveta Benesova, must be of concern to the 27-year-old Queenslander, who broke through for her maiden grand slam success last September at Flushing Meadows.

In other results, third seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus had no trouble disposing of Swiss qualifier Stefanie Voegele 6-2 6-1, and last year’s Australian Open runner-up Li Na is safely into the second round after a 6-0 6-3 win over Russian Ekaterina Makarova.

Zvonareva was a surprise casualty, going down 6-1 6-2 to to fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, but Bartoli, the eighth seed, cruised past Slovenian Polona Hercog 6-3 6-3.

There was no love lost between the Radwanska sisters of Poland, with older sibling and seventh seed Agnieszka destroying qualifier Urszula 6-1 6-1, while Petkovic took care of Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2 6-3.

Great Britain have been drawn with Holland, Israel and Portugal in the Fed Cup.

Captain Judy Murray’s team will compete in Pool C in Eilat, Israel from February 1-4.