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Old 12-26-2015, 04:16 PM   #222
Brian Swartz
Grizzled Veteran
 
Join Date: May 2006
Top Ten Rankings Update

1. Antonin Iglar(CZE, 25) -- 15,510

The latest career achievement lists have Iglar up to 8th in weeks at #1(97, 8 more than Alastra), 5th in Slam titles(9), and tied for 5th in Masters Shields with Runer(at 14). His strategy this year has to been to focus on dominating hardcourts, and he's done just that. This does leave the door somewhat open for others to prevent him from becoming just the fifth man to win three World Tour Finals however ... Iglar's record this year is a ridiculous 71-3, and he looks set to finish another historically dominant year after a small hiccup(by his standards) last season.

2. Anil Mehul(SRI, 26) -- 10,800

Mehul is 1-5 against Iglar this year, 60-5 against everyone else. That, and the '1' which was the Wimbledon title of course, are pretty much the story of his successful rise to best, if still very distant, challenger to Iglar's throne.

3. Bjorn Benda(DEU, 28) -- 10,180

The inspired run to the USO final and continued clay dominance showed that Benda is not done being a major force yet.

4. Perry Hogue(USA, 28) -- 6,280

Hogue looks to be fading again after an outstanding first half of the year. Yet nobody is coming to take his place ... yet.

5. David Alvarez(ESP, 29) -- 5,370

6. Pierce Gaskell(USA, 26) -- 5,290

I said at the outset of the year he should be Top-5 by the end, and Gaskell is nearly there. It's only a matter of time before he replaces Hogue as the #1 American. The collapse against Benda in the USO quarterfinals was a major missed opportunity. He also lost an epic 5-setter to the German in the AO, a five-setter to Mehul at the French, and in four to Iglar at Wimbledon, all four Slam quarterfinals. You have to think he'll smash through that wall soon, he's overdue at this point.

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

Still just good enough to hang around. Tick tock.

8. Perry Mockler(USA, 26) -- 4,850

Mockler has been better than I expected this year. Nowhere was this clearer than at the USO where he knocked off Hogue in straight sets, then was the only player to take a set off Iglar in the semifinals.

9. Thiago Herrera(PER, 25) -- 3,375

Progress really stalled for Herrera after the clay season.

10. Roger Federer(SUI, 25) -- 3,230

With Bahana floundering, Federer stepped into the opening created. I don't see him doing a whole lot more however.
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