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Justine Henin-Hardenne and Lindsay Davenport head the field for the 2.1 million-dollar WTA hardcourt tournament that starts here on Wednesday as part of the Pacific Life Open.
Both defending champion Kim Clijsters of Belgium, and the woman chasing her for the world number one ranking, France's Amelie Mauresmo, are absent, leaving world number three Henin-Hardenne and fourth-ranked Davenport - both former champions here - to headline a field that also includes former world number one Maria Sharapova, who is seeded third.
Two more Russians, Elena Dementieva and Anastasia Myskina, are the fourth and fifth seeds, followed by Italy's Flavia Pennetta, Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Serbian teenager Ana Ivanovic.
Gronefeld arrives in the California desert having claimed her first WTA title, beating Pennetta in the final in Acapulco at the weekend.
Martina Hingis, who beat Davenport in the final to win the title here in 1998, received a wildcard and is seeded 19th in a draw in which the top 32 women receive first-round byes.
Hingis, also a finalist here in 2000 and 2002, has moved her ranking to number 32 in the world since her return to the game in January.
"We are thrilled that Martina is coming back," said tournament chairman Charlie Pasarell. "Her comeback has been impressive. She is quickly returning to her past form as the number one player in the world."
The draw for the 3.169 million-dollar Masters Series tournament that also makes up the Pacific Life Open, in which Roger Federer returns to defend his title, was to be made on Tuesday.
Pacific Life Open Women's top 16 seeds
1. Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL)
2. Lindsay Davenport (USA)
3. Maria Sharapova (RUS)
4. Elena Dementieva (RUS)
5. Anastasia Myskina (RUS)
6. Flavia Pennetta (ITA)
7. Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER)
8. Ivanovic (SCG)
9. Nathalie Dechy (FRA)
10. Dinara Safina (RUS)
11. Maria Kirilenko (RUS)
12. Tatiana Golovin (FRA)
13. Ana Isabel Medina Garrigues (ESP)
14. Ai Sugiyama (JPN)
15. Jelena Jankovic (SCG)
16. Klara Koukalova (SLO)
bb/ak
Tennis-WTA-USA-seeds
AFP 070918 GMT 03 06
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