Laura Robson and Heather Watson break into world top 50

In the latest WTA rankings, released today, Watson is 47th and Robson 50th.

Belarus’s Victoria Azarenka is world number one and will be top seed for the Australian Open, which starts next week.

In the men’s rankings, Britain’s Andy Murray is still the world number three behind world number one Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Switzerland’s Roger Federer.

Britain has not had two women ranked in the top 50 at the same time since Jo Durie and Sara Gomer in 1987.

Watson broke into the top 50 for the first time in 2012 and has now been joined by Robson.

Watson, who became the first British woman to win a WTA singles title in 25 years when she won the Japan Open in October, is nursing an elbow injury ahead of the Australian Open, but is hopeful of being fit.

British women’s tennis currently appears in better health than the men’s, with only Murray occupying the top 200 of the men’s rankings. Jamie Baker is ranked 246th, followed closely by James Ward (247), Josh Goodall (258) and Daniel Evans (297).

In the women’s rankings, British trio Anne Keothavong, Johanna Konta and Elena Baltacha are 142nd, 153rd and 181st respectively.

The seedings for the Australian Open were released today, with the tournament organisers sticking closely to the latest rankings to seed 32 players for each of the men’s and women’s draws.

David Ferrer takes the number four seeding — behind Djokovic, Federer and Murray — to replace fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who has withdrawn due to injury.

On the women’s side, Azarenka is followed by French Open champion Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, the reigning Wimbledon, Olympic and US Open champion.