[Brian Swartz]

Q4 Rankings Update

1. Nicolas Perez (25, ARG) - 15,300

Still the runaway top dog. He's lost six matches this year; at least 11 for everyone else.

2. Harald Wentz (25, AUT) - 9,230

A first Slam title secures Wentz as the top contender ... using that term very loosely.

3. Tobias Velilla (24, ARG) - 7,255

Up and down, but I still think he's overachieved this year overall.

4. Calisto Aviles (24, ESP) - 6,490

Continues to be solid on the off surfaces.

5. Chisulo Mpakati (25, ZIM) - 5,565

The reverse of Velilla this season I think. He steps backwards instead of forwards in the biggest matches despite being fairly good mentally, which is why he's the highest-ranked player with no big trophies to his name.

6. Il-Sung Jung (26, KOR) - 5,220

Sometimes he's excellent, more often he's just there.

7. Ollie Haas (26, NLD) - 5,080

Still solid.

8. Lucas Perez (26, ARG) - 4,750

Lucas continues a strong year, making up ground on the top players. There's every reason to expect him to start moving up before long.

9. Tim de Jong (27, NLD) - 3,595

The gap from 8-9 is bigger than the one from 5 to 8. de Jong's renaissance earns him 'best of the rest' honors.

10. Clavet Moniotte (27, FRA) - 3,205

This year could have been so much better for France's best player, but Moniotte still deserves accolades for cracking the Top 10 for the first time - at Dogic's expense.

11. Amrik Kasaravalli (26, SRI)

A new career high here as well. He could still push higher, or not.

12. Barry Molyneaux (30, USA)

Simply refusing to go away.

14. Odimos Csollang (22, ROU)

Didn't move up all that much with his stellar USO semifinal run, but separated himself from the rest of his generation by a good margin. He's now in better position to start picking off the older players.

15. Fabio Cagide (23, ESP)

Inching upwards more slowly, but definitely upwards regardless.

17. Ross Vicars (21, USA)

A little behind the others, but also a little younger. He has time.

18. Algot Hakanson (27, SWE)

Getting passed by players in both directions these days.

21. Sushant Chiba (32, SRI)

Now a Top-100 doubles player (91st) for the first time, and his days as a singles fixture are decidedly numbered.

23. Acke Kjaerstad (25, SWE)

Same problem as Hakanson, he's further back but also younger.

24. John Hart (30, IRE)

7th in doubles right now.

25. Pedro Perez (26, ARG)

Merely 4th in Argentina.

27. Helmut Edlund (27, SWE)

Sticking just fine so far, but the early USO defeat stings.

28. Peter de Boer (23, NLD)

The other guy I predicted to move up is here now. On the other hand, last year he won CH+ events the next couple weeks so ... *boing boing*. Also 60th in doubles.

29. Joao Narciso (29, BRA)

Making the USO fourth round was huge for him - now he's got to try and back up that success.

32. Tommy Fitzpatrick (22, IRE)

Joins the elite group for the first time. I don't think he'll have too much trouble staying. Third-youngest at this level right now, after Vicars and Csollang.

33. Mark Smith (21, GBR)

The rankings giveth, and then taketh away.

35. Willy Weigl (23, AUT)

*sadface*

37. Nasir Chittoor (21, SRI)

Still winning wherever the good players aren't, he's got a little more work to do. Fairly recently he joined the rolls of Sri Lanka Legends, presently 9th. He won't go any higher until he gets to the Top 10 more or less, but another aspect of the chase is on. Four have been ranked #1 in the world, and five have won majors, so it's a high bar.

90. Rakesh Kayeeda (21, SRI)

91. Ritwik Intodia (21, SRI)

These two are back to being thick as thieves while they await their 'turn'.

103. Helmut Hoetker (20, SUI)

Winner at CH2 San Benedetto, and more recently a finalist at another CH2 event, Hoetker is on his way up.

124. Lubos Rucklov (20, CZE)

Him too - ran into Chittoor in the Astana final but it was still a boost for him overall.

170. Rene Deschesnay (25, MAL)

Hired off the free-agent market a few weeks ago. Pretty good athlete, some doubles investment, needs work on the serve and endurance is definitely on the weak side. A puzzling hire to my mind given his age.

173. Mike Corey (19, USA)

SF recently at CH3 events in Bangkok and Lexington to start off his challenger career.

175. Chiang-hui Cheng (19, TPE)

SF at Astana (l. Chittoor), QF at Brasilia his last two events. Has also had some earlier defeats. Basically cutting his teeth at the new level.

177. Satyagit Guha (22, SRI)

Just recently maxed out his doubles technique, where he is currently 53rd. Might get a shot at another challenger or two this year, but will be focusing on the pairs stuff with Chiba at the remaining Masters.

1270. Philip Arendt (21, DEU)

Lots of training the last few months, and modest success in the one futures event he did enter.

91(J). Aleksije Konstantinovic (17, CRO)

A strange cocktail of events recently, trying his hand at a futures and and then the junior USO.

120(J). Joseph Charriol (17, MAL)

Winner of his last three junior events, most recently JG3 Nagoya. It'll be interesting to see how well Charriol does next season in his final junior year.

246(J). Eduardo Yroz (15, CHI)

Up to the JG4 level now and slowing down some, but won his last time out so maybe getting over that hump.

332(J). Kjell Falkeving (15, SWE)

Playing more often than I would, but Falkeving is continuing to find success in JG5s. Still losing sometimes though.

842(J). Josh Frobisher (14, GBR)

Form was criminally low before but management has wisely corrected that issue. Frobisher appears to be following the well-worn paths of success now, and has passed a third of juniors opposition in the past two months largely because of it. Still some work to do at the JG5 level; got his first win in Osaka, then lost first round in Oslo. Consistency is the next obstacle for him.

1168(J). Thanasis Theodopoulos (15, CYP)

Needs to play more tournaments if he's going to succeed. Still getting practice every week, but not getting much from it due to lack of real match fitness.

1454(J). Anikitos Khadjikyriakos (14, CYP)

That's ... that's a name. Yes indeed it is. I believe we have a fan of the nation of Cyprus. Ani is a recent hire, very fast (4.4 peak), pretty good strength, but peaks at about 2 endurance. If one is going for players from that tiny island though, he might still be a good start. Appears to be training properly early.