LONDON, July 7: Switzerland’s Roger Federer took over at the top of the Champions Race and rose to a career-high third in the 12-month ATP rankings after winnning Wimbledon on Sunday.

Australian Lleyton Hewitt, beaten in the first round at Wimbledon by Croatian Ivo Karlovic, slumped to fifth in the rankings from second, his lowest since August 2001. Federer, who beat Australia’s Mark Philippoussis in the Wimbledon final, leads the Champions Race with 545 points. Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero is second on 537 and American Andre Agassi third with 472.

The Champions Race starts afresh each January and includes only the points won in a calendar year.

Agassi remains top of the 12-month rankings — on which tournament seedings are based — with 4,090 points followed by Ferrero (3,875) and Federer (3,575).

The top of the women’s rankings remains unchanged after Serena Williams’s defeat of her sister Venus in the women’s final at Wimbledon.

Serena remains top with Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne second and third, and Venus fourth.

The Williams sisters beat Henin-Hardenne and Clijsters in the semifinals at Wimbledon. Serena has 6,060 points from 12 tournaments while Clijsters has 5,721 from 22 tournaments.

World men’s rankings (previous positions in parentheses):

1. (1) Andre Agassi (US) 4,090 points; 2. (3) Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) 3,875; 3. (5) Roger Federer (Switzerland) 3,575; 4. (4) Carlos Moya (Spain) 3,160; 5. (2) Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 2,945; 6. (6) Andy Roddick (US) 2,765; 7. (7) Guillermo Coria (Argentina) 2,250; 8. (8) Rainer Schuettler (Germany) 2,000; 9. (14) Sebastien Grosjean (France) 1,950; 10. (10) Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) 1,845; 11. (11) Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) 1,835; 12. (12) Sjeng Schalken (Netherlands) 1,715; 13. (13) Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil) 1,575; 14. (15) Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) 1,421; 15. (17) Felix Mantilla (Spain) 1,410; 16. (18) Agustin Calleri (Argentina) 1,405; 17. (16) Martin Verkerk (Netherlands) 1,392; 18. (19) Albert Costa (Spain) 1,370; 19. (9) David Nalbandian (Argentina) 1,345; 20. (21) Tommy Robredo (Spain) 1,300.

Leading women’s rankings (previous ranking in parentheses):

1. (1) Serena Williams (US) 6,060 points; 2. (2) Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 5,721; 3. (3) Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) 4,705; 4. (4) Venus Williams (US) 4,216; 5. (5) Lindsay Davenport (US) 3,626; 6. (6) Amelie Mauresmo (France) 2,932; 7. (7) Jennifer Capriati (US) 2,578; 8. (8) Chanda Rubin (US) 2,434; 9. (9) Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 2,078; 10. (10) Anastasia Myskina (Russia) 1,990; 11. (14) Ai Sugiyama (Japan) 1,763; 12. (12) Jelena Dokic (Yugoslavia) 1,759; 13. (11) Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) 1,700; 14. (13) Conchita Martinez (Spain) 1,665; 15. (17) Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 1,601; 16. (15) Amanda Coetzer (South Africa) 1,547; 17. (16) Elena Dementieva (Russia) 1,483; 18. (20) Meghann Shaughnessy (US) 1,413; 19. (19) Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) 1,401; 20. (25) Silvia Farina Elia (Italy) 1,384.—Reuters