Seeded (Sports Useage)

Posted by Arden on March 24, 2000

Does anyone know the origin of the term "seeded" as applied to sports, particularly Tennis? I could understand seated (as honored at a ceremony) or ceded, as conceded. It seems to indicate relative ranking and usually is preceeded by a number as Fifth Seeded. Right now we are going though March Madness, which is the basketball playoffs, and it seems to appear frequently in the news reports.