Kim Clijsters unseeded at Wimbledon

LONDON -- Five-time champion Venus Williams and four-time Grand Slam winner Kim Clijsters are unseeded at Wimbledon for the first time in more than a decade.


The seedings were announced Wednesday for the Grand Slam tournament that starts Monday, with top-ranked defending champion Novak Djokovic heading the men's list and Maria Sharapova leading the women's -- both for the first time.



The women's list follows the WTA rankings, while the men's has minor changes to reflect a player's prowess on grass.


Williams, who played in eight Wimbledon finals from 2000 to 2009, is unseeded for the first time since her debut at the All England Club in 1997. She has dropped to 55th in the rankings while dealing with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that can cause fatigue and joint pain.


Williams has played only five tournaments this year, last appearing in the French Open, where she bowed out in the second round. The last time she won Wimbledon was in 2008. Sister Serena, a four-time Wimbledon champion, is seeded sixth in line with her WTA ranking.


Clijsters, ranked 53rd, is unseeded for the first time since 2000. The Belgian has never reached the final at Wimbledon.


Since her Australian Open title defense ended in the semifinals in January, Clijsters has been limited by ankle and hip injuries. She has played only in the Key Biscayne Masters in March and this week's Unicef Open, where she has reached the quarterfinals.


Twice a Wimbledon semifinalist, Clijsters intends to retire after the U.S. Open.


ESPN.com

Hey we all remember the last time Kim Clijsters went in unseeded, she won the whole thing (after years of no play) so I'm taking this as a good omen.