Front Office Football Central - View Single Post

Brian Swartz · 12-17-2015, 05:27 AM

Top Ten Rankings Update

1. Antonin Iglar(CZE, 25) -- 14,690

The quest for the CYGS(Calendar Year Grand Slam) is delayed for another year, but Iglar is still king with a spectacular 52-3 record; he seems headed for a third straight year of single-digit losses, at the very least.

2. Anil Mehul(SRI, 26) -- 10,160

It's been a charmed year so far for Mehul, who ironically has gotten through luck most of the time the main benefit of being #2 before he actually reached this position; being able to avoid Iglar until the final of any tournament.

3. Bjorn Benda(DEU, 28) -- 9,850

With the first cracks in his dominance of clay the last few years showing at RG, Benda is now in the position of hanging onto his spot in the Big Three for as long as he can. That might be some time yet given the relatively poor state of things these days.

4. Perry Hogue(USA, 28) -- 6,840

It's been a surprisingly consistent year for Hogue: he has five semifinals in the seven big events so far, with a quarterfinal in one more(Madrid). He's established himself as a gatekeeper of sorts -- the best of the rest, and the guy would-be challengers must surpass if they wish to assault the top.

5. David Alvarez(ESP, 29) -- 5,940

Hanging around and, for now, still with a cushion on the next generation.

6. Cestmir Marcek(CZE, 28) -- 5,020

7. Pierce Gaskell(USA, 26) -- 4,565

Gaskell has been a quarterfinalist at all three Slams so far this year; he reached that stage only twice in all previous seasons combined, but has never gone further. He hasn't done as well in the Masters events though, only one quarter this year. Consistent overplaying has kept him from breaking through so far, and will probably be particularly damaging this fall.

8. Perry Mockler(USA, 26) -- 3,885

It's been some time since the U.S. placed three players in the top eight. They've surpassed Spain as the best singles nation right now.

9. Thiago Herrera(PER, 24) -- 3,580

The newest face to grace the first page, Thiago is the most accomplished of the Herrera wave(there's 4-5 notable ones by this point) and while Peru has a storied history, he's the first to reach the Top 10 in nearly 30 years. The last was another Herrera, Alessandro; three were Top 5 and two reached #1. That's an unlikely height for Thiago, but he's become a major force on clay.

10. Viktor Goncharenko(RUS, 29) -- 2,950

Pretty much waiting for someone to pass him at this point.

Although he recently activated again, Marsel Bahana took over a month off after RG, including skipping Wimbledon. This is really unaccountable and continues the trend the last few years of more and more top players not taking their craft seriously. Players like Mehul and Benda, far clear of the field as the clear #2 and #3, would be little better than average Top 10 players at other points in history. Right now though, many challengers have given up or just aren't pulling their weight, which is unfortunate.

12-17-2015, 05:27 AM	#212
Brian Swartz Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2006	Top Ten Rankings Update 1. Antonin Iglar(CZE, 25) -- 14,690 The quest for the CYGS(Calendar Year Grand Slam) is delayed for another year, but Iglar is still king with a spectacular 52-3 record; he seems headed for a third straight year of single-digit losses, at the very least. 2. Anil Mehul(SRI, 26) -- 10,160 It's been a charmed year so far for Mehul, who ironically has gotten through luck most of the time the main benefit of being #2 before he actually reached this position; being able to avoid Iglar until the final of any tournament. 3. Bjorn Benda(DEU, 28) -- 9,850 With the first cracks in his dominance of clay the last few years showing at RG, Benda is now in the position of hanging onto his spot in the Big Three for as long as he can. That might be some time yet given the relatively poor state of things these days. 4. Perry Hogue(USA, 28) -- 6,840 It's been a surprisingly consistent year for Hogue: he has five semifinals in the seven big events so far, with a quarterfinal in one more(Madrid). He's established himself as a gatekeeper of sorts -- the best of the rest, and the guy would-be challengers must surpass if they wish to assault the top. 5. David Alvarez(ESP, 29) -- 5,940 Hanging around and, for now, still with a cushion on the next generation. 6. Cestmir Marcek(CZE, 28) -- 5,020 7. Pierce Gaskell(USA, 26) -- 4,565 Gaskell has been a quarterfinalist at all three Slams so far this year; he reached that stage only twice in all previous seasons combined, but has never gone further. He hasn't done as well in the Masters events though, only one quarter this year. Consistent overplaying has kept him from breaking through so far, and will probably be particularly damaging this fall. 8. Perry Mockler(USA, 26) -- 3,885 It's been some time since the U.S. placed three players in the top eight. They've surpassed Spain as the best singles nation right now. 9. Thiago Herrera(PER, 24) -- 3,580 The newest face to grace the first page, Thiago is the most accomplished of the Herrera wave(there's 4-5 notable ones by this point) and while Peru has a storied history, he's the first to reach the Top 10 in nearly 30 years. The last was another Herrera, Alessandro; three were Top 5 and two reached #1. That's an unlikely height for Thiago, but he's become a major force on clay. 10. Viktor Goncharenko(RUS, 29) -- 2,950 Pretty much waiting for someone to pass him at this point. Although he recently activated again, Marsel Bahana took over a month off after RG, including skipping Wimbledon. This is really unaccountable and continues the trend the last few years of more and more top players not taking their craft seriously. Players like Mehul and Benda, far clear of the field as the clear #2 and #3, would be little better than average Top 10 players at other points in history. Right now though, many challengers have given up or just aren't pulling their weight, which is unfortunate.