Wimbledon: Djokovic bids for 3rd consecutive crown amid tight security

Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams have been confirmed as the top seeds for this year's Wimbledon tournament.

Djokovic heads into the event, which begins on Monday June 27, bidding for his fourth Wimbledon crown and his third in a row.

He became the first man in nearly 50 years to win four consecutive major championships when he won the French Open earlier this month.

Djokovic heads to London as the only man since Jim Courier in 1992 to win the first two majors of the year, but will face stiff competition from second seed Andy Murray, with the world number two keen to avenge his losses against Djokovic at this season's Australian and French Open finals.

Murray beat Djokovic in straight sets in the Wimbledon final three years ago and will be boosted by his 6-3, 6-3 victory over the Serb at the Italian Open ahead of the Roland Garros event.

The British player warmed up for Wimbledon by claiming a record fifth Queen's Club title after beating Milos Raonic last Sunday.

Third seed Roger Federer is chasing an eighth Wimbledon title having lost the last two finals against Djokovic.

Stan Wawrinka completes the top four seeds, while Spanish star Rafael Nadal will miss the tournament after suffering a wrist injury at the French Open.

Andrey Kuznetsov is the top Russian player in the tournament, with the world number 42 hoping to go further than his previous best in 2014, when he reached the third round.

In the ladies' section, world number one Serena Williams is bidding to secure a record-equaling 22nd major of her illustrious career.

A seventh singles victory at Wimbledon for Williams would see her draw level with German legend Steffi Graf.

Williams has been in decent form in recent weeks, winning the Italian Open before narrowly missing out on the French Open against Spain's Garbiсe Muguruza.

The second seed pushed Williams hard in last year's final and will hope to go one better this time around.

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Agnieszka Radwanska and Angelique Kerber round off the top four seeds, while the likes of Victoria Azarenka, Simona Halep and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will all fancy their chances of preventing Williams from tying with Graf.

Svetlana Kuznetsova is the highest ranked Russian player in the competition. The 14th seed has reached the last eight on three previous occasions in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

The winners of this year's tournaments will receive $2.93 million as Wimbledon maintains its title as tennis's best-paying competition.

With security fears high around Europe following the attempted terrorist attack on the France against Germany football match in Paris last November, Wimbledon will be patrolled by armed police.

Around 500,000 fans will flock to South West London during the two-week event and Wimbledon bosses are keen to ensure the tournament passes off without incident.

Seedings

Men's singles

1. DJOKOVIC, Novak (SRB)

2. MURRAY, Andy (GBR)

3. FEDERER, Roger (SUI)

4. WAWRINKA, Stan (SUI)

5. NISHIKORI, Kei (JPN)

6. RAONIC, Milos (CAN)

7. GASQUET, Richard (FRA)

8. THIEM, Dominic (AUT)

9. CILIC, Marin (CRO)

10. BERDYCH, Tomas (CZE)

11. GOFFIN, David (BEL)

12. TSONGA, Jo-Wilfried (FRA)

13. FERRER, David (ESP)

14. BAUTISTA AGUT, Roberto (ESP)

15. KYRGIOS, Nick (AUS)

16. SIMON, Gilles (FRA)

17. MONFILS, Gael (FRA)

18. ISNER, John (USA)

19. TOMIC, Bernard (AUS)

20. ANDERSON, Kevin (RSA)

21. KOHLSCHREIBER, Philipp (GER)

22. LOPEZ, Feliciano (ESP)

23. KARLOVIC, Ivo (CRO)

24. ZVEREV, Alexander (GER)

25. TROICKI, Viktor (SRB)

26. PAIRE, Benoit (FRA)

27. SOCK, Jack (USA)

28. QUERREY, Sam (USA)

29. CUEVAS, Pablo (URU)

30. DOLGOPOLOV, Alexandr (UKR)

31. SOUSA, Joao (POR)

32. POUILLE, Lucas (FRA)

Ladies' singles

1. WILLIAMS, Serena (USA)

2. MUGURUZA, Garbine (ESP)

3. RADWANSKA, Agnieszka (POL)

4. KERBER, Angelique (GER)

5. HALEP, Simona (ROU)

6. AZARENKA, Victoria (BLR)

7. VINCI, Roberta (ITA)

8. BENCIC, Belinda (SUI)

9. WILLIAMS, Venus (USA)

10. KEYS, Madison (USA)

11. KVITOVA, Petra (CZE)

12. BACSINSZKY, Timea (SUI)

13. SUAREZ NAVARRO, Carla (ESP)

14. KUZNETSOVA, Svetlana (RUS)

15. STOSUR, Samantha (AUS)

16. PLISKOVA, Karolina (CZE)

17. KONTA, Johanna (GBR)

18. SVITOLINA, Elina (UKR)

19. STEPHENS, Sloane (USA)

20. CIBULKOVA, Dominika (SVK)

21. ERRANI, Sara (ITA)

22. PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia (RUS)

23. JANKOVIC, Jelena (SRB)

24. IVANOVIC, Ana (SRB)

25. STRYCOVA, Barbora (CZE)

26. BEGU, Irina-Camelia (ROU)

27. BERTENS, Kiki (NED)

28. VANDEWEGHE, Coco (USA)

29. SAFAROVA, Lucie (CZE)

30. KASATKINA, Daria (RUS)

31. GARCIA, Caroline (FRA)

32. MLADENOVIC, Kristina (FRA)