The conversation between human and AI assistant.
Why is the term "seed" used instead of "rank" in tennis?
That's interesting. Do you know when this practice started in tennis?
I believe the use of seeds in tennis draws dates back to the late 1800s, when organizers of tournaments began to use a system of "byes" -- or automatic advancement in the draw -- to make up for uneven numbers of entries. By the early 1900s, seeds were being used to identify and protect the top players in a tournament, and the system has remained in place ever since.