View Single Post
Old 11-15-2016, 04:31 PM   #558
Brian Swartz
Grizzled Veteran
 
Join Date: May 2006
Top Ten Rankings

1. Prakash Mooljee(SRI, 24) -- 14,215

Mooljee did more than claim the top spot this season; he seized the sport by the throat. With a lead of well over 5k points and a game that is still improving, he looks set for a multi-year reign.

2. Girish Girsh(SRI, 29) -- 8,630

Girsh had another fine year, but he's been reduced to fighting for second place. Having 100 weeks at #1, 9th all-time, will probably be the best thing about his career when it's over.

3. Antonin Iglar(CZE, 32) -- 7,620

Iglar might not even be the best player in his own country anymore. He made three big finals, but didn't win anything larger than a 500. That probably won't change at this point, but most of the young guns still will find him more than their equal.

4. Tomas Niklas(CZE, 24) -- 6,890

After a fine season capped by a Wimbledon title, expect Niklas to carry the banner for the Czechs now, and likely establish himself as Mooljee's top competition.

5. Gustavo Caratti(ARG, 29) -- 6,570

Caratti's days of running roughshod over the tour on clay appear over, and with them his status as a contender. One wonders if this is the year the 4-time defending Roland Garros champion gives way to someone else there ...

6. Anil Mehul(SRI, 32) -- 5,790

The long fall has finally arrived. The big question about next year Mehul is how many more players will surpass him.

7. Shreya Ujjaval(SRI, 26) -- 5,095

Four of the top seven players from the same country. I've never seen that before and probably will never see it again. Ujjaval is one of those guys who will probably peak around 4th or 5th -- this could well be his best year coming up now that he's established himself.

8. Mugur Kinczllers(ITA, 29) -- 3,540

Kinczllers has had a quality career, very similar to Gaskell only a few years younger as middling Top-10 player for a few seasons. He's gone all-in on working on his doubles game now though, so it does appear to be over.

9. Theodore Bourdet(FRA, 27) -- 3,450

The best of the French is clearly fading now.

10. Zourab Andronikov(GEO, 26) -- 3,365

Andronikov's stunning win in Paris to end his season earned him a spot here. He's not likely to go much further, but it's definitely a nice feather in the cap of a nation that never had a Top 20 player before he came along.

Four more improving players are within a few hundred points of breaking in; Zakirov, Santos, Janin, and Srbulovic. The older players will find themselves under increasing pressure the next couple of years as this shift continues.
Brian Swartz is offline   Reply With Quote