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Brian Swartz · 09-21-2022, 09:14 AM

That Just Happened: 593 In Review

1. Sam Marino (26, SMR, 90%, 8.94, -0.02) - 10,765

Marino won the Australian Open again ... and this time added four Masters titles to go along with it: Rome, Paris, Miami, and Shanghai. That was enough to get him to top spot, unseating Roethlisberger. He should be able to compete for a chance to stay there, but it's close enough that he needs to win the AO for a third straight time or it's probable that someone else will take the #1.

2. Fred Roethlisberger (27, DEU, 89%, 8.97, -0.03) - 9,900

Roethlisberger won Cincinatti and Indian Wells, then also the Tour Finals which closed what had been a significant gap with Marino. He's probably on the downside of his career now, but still very much a threat.

3. Felipe Avello (27, CZE, 91%, 8.83, --) - 8,500

Normally winning two Slams as Avello did with RG and USO would be plenty to get to #1. Not in this case. He probably overachieved on that side of things, and also won the Canada Masters, but didn't quite have the consistency needed and did surprisingly poorly at the 250 and 500 tournaments. I expect him to be lower on the first page a year from now.

4. Helmut Nykvist (24, SWE, 94%, 9.01, +0.08) - 6,270

Last year we wondered if Nykvist was ever going to make his move. He was 15th then; the answer is definitely yes. Objectively he's become the best player in the world, though a surprising level of interest devoted to indoor courts complicates that math. Still, with the other contenders at or past their peak, it would not be surprising to see the gifted Swedish phenom take the crown this year.

5. Chris Shank (29, USA, 84%, 8.74, -0.08) - 5,610

Going the other way is Shank, finally starting to feel significant affects of time passing him by.

6. Victor Jensen (28, DEN, 87%, 8.81, -0.12) - 4,755

An even steeper decline for Jensen, last year's #3. He couldn't replicate the success on clay, failing to get past the semifinals at any big tournament.

7. Lazaro Corral (23, ARG, 94%, 8.82) - 4,645

Champion at Monte Carlo and runner-up at Roland Garros, Corral is one of the players who filled the void in the clay season. This is the first we've mentioned him, but it seems unlikely to be the last.

8. Eman Radacanu (24, GBR, 94%, 8.86) - 4,330

Radacanu is more of a hardcourt (and grass, as fits the nationality) player, but also is pushing towards the top along with Corral. Someone has to fill the void, and there are multiple older players who have made the turn to work on doubles.

9. Ken Grimes (28, AUS, 86%, 8.59, -0.19) - 3,805

I think it's safe to say Grimes was fortunate to only slip a couple of spots last year. He was a fun player to watch, but it's over now.

10. Sebastian Toma (28, URU, 86%, 8.56, -0.11) - 3,720

Only a year removed from being placed 4th, Toma is one of those who has seen the writing on the wall and started working on doubles. Had a couple of strong over-achieving seasons though.

11. Ljubidrag Kusic (23, DEU, 96%, 8.83)

One of the next-up is definitely Germany's latest offering. Kusic offers a good and versatile brand of tennis, with technical skills approaching the point where he could become a big factor.

After Ljubidrag there are a number of other players who could fill in. Further down is Australia's Daniel Landon (23, 8.65), a very powerful player if somewhat lacking in dedication who figures to be relevant soon. But there are many possibles, and we'll see who rises to the occasion.

09-21-2022, 09:14 AM	#55
Brian Swartz Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2006	That Just Happened: 593 In Review 1. Sam Marino (26, SMR, 90%, 8.94, -0.02) - 10,765 Marino won the Australian Open again ... and this time added four Masters titles to go along with it: Rome, Paris, Miami, and Shanghai. That was enough to get him to top spot, unseating Roethlisberger. He should be able to compete for a chance to stay there, but it's close enough that he needs to win the AO for a third straight time or it's probable that someone else will take the #1. 2. Fred Roethlisberger (27, DEU, 89%, 8.97, -0.03) - 9,900 Roethlisberger won Cincinatti and Indian Wells, then also the Tour Finals which closed what had been a significant gap with Marino. He's probably on the downside of his career now, but still very much a threat. 3. Felipe Avello (27, CZE, 91%, 8.83, --) - 8,500 Normally winning two Slams as Avello did with RG and USO would be plenty to get to #1. Not in this case. He probably overachieved on that side of things, and also won the Canada Masters, but didn't quite have the consistency needed and did surprisingly poorly at the 250 and 500 tournaments. I expect him to be lower on the first page a year from now. 4. Helmut Nykvist (24, SWE, 94%, 9.01, +0.08) - 6,270 Last year we wondered if Nykvist was ever going to make his move. He was 15th then; the answer is definitely yes. Objectively he's become the best player in the world, though a surprising level of interest devoted to indoor courts complicates that math. Still, with the other contenders at or past their peak, it would not be surprising to see the gifted Swedish phenom take the crown this year. 5. Chris Shank (29, USA, 84%, 8.74, -0.08) - 5,610 Going the other way is Shank, finally starting to feel significant affects of time passing him by. 6. Victor Jensen (28, DEN, 87%, 8.81, -0.12) - 4,755 An even steeper decline for Jensen, last year's #3. He couldn't replicate the success on clay, failing to get past the semifinals at any big tournament. 7. Lazaro Corral (23, ARG, 94%, 8.82) - 4,645 Champion at Monte Carlo and runner-up at Roland Garros, Corral is one of the players who filled the void in the clay season. This is the first we've mentioned him, but it seems unlikely to be the last. 8. Eman Radacanu (24, GBR, 94%, 8.86) - 4,330 Radacanu is more of a hardcourt (and grass, as fits the nationality) player, but also is pushing towards the top along with Corral. Someone has to fill the void, and there are multiple older players who have made the turn to work on doubles. 9. Ken Grimes (28, AUS, 86%, 8.59, -0.19) - 3,805 I think it's safe to say Grimes was fortunate to only slip a couple of spots last year. He was a fun player to watch, but it's over now. 10. Sebastian Toma (28, URU, 86%, 8.56, -0.11) - 3,720 Only a year removed from being placed 4th, Toma is one of those who has seen the writing on the wall and started working on doubles. Had a couple of strong over-achieving seasons though. 11. Ljubidrag Kusic (23, DEU, 96%, 8.83) One of the next-up is definitely Germany's latest offering. Kusic offers a good and versatile brand of tennis, with technical skills approaching the point where he could become a big factor. After Ljubidrag there are a number of other players who could fill in. Further down is Australia's Daniel Landon (23, 8.65), a very powerful player if somewhat lacking in dedication who figures to be relevant soon. But there are many possibles, and we'll see who rises to the occasion.