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Brian Swartz · 08-06-2015, 10:21 PM

2039 FINAL TOP TEN RANKINGS

And here we are, the end of a second year in this dynasty(and nearly a decade total for me) in the books. Thanks for joining me on the journey so far!

1. Bjorn Benda(DEU, 25) -- 11,450

Championships in Shanghai, Paris, and at the World Tour Finals in Belgium stamped Benda as the undisputed best player in the world. He hasn't lost an important match since the US Open three months ago, and made the quarters or better in all four slams and five Masters events. He's certainly helped by a weak cadre of contenders in his age bracket, but you can only beat the opponents in front of you. Either at or close to the peak of his powers, Benda is probably headed into a dominant 2040 campaign.

2. David Prieto(ESP, 29) -- 8,850

You can make an argument that despite his age, Prieto just had his finest season. He set a career-best with 74 wins against 17 losses and was only a sliver better in terms of winning percentage once(73-16 in '37, two years ago). The crown jewel was taking the title at the Australian Open and he'll need to repeat there if he wants to sustain this lofty position.

3. Mick Elder(USA, 28) -- 8,390

First-week defeats at the USO and Wimbledon hampered what was a spectacular season in many respects. He made six Masters finals, more than any other player, but walked away with just two crowns. Almost, but not quite in terms of being a consistent #1 threat, Elder is still more than a match for most of the elite.

4. Perry Hogue(USA, 25) -- 7,540

All signs point to a fairly quick decline now for the meteoric Hogue. He snagged the #1 ranking for almost a month in the late summer, but after a fantastic stretch lasting almost exactly one year his fall performances were disappointing, and in Perry's case it looks like a decline in athleticism, not a slump. It might be all he can do to stay in the Top 10 this year.

5. Viktor Goncharenko(RUS, 26) -- 6,420

The man who emphatically broke Alastra's stranglehold on the sport with a stunning run at Wimbledon has been decidedly unimpressive if solid since then. The general consensus is that he's a one-hit wonder who will hang around for a while, but has probably seen his lone brief moment in the sun. He has no Masters and just a single 500 to his credit, bolstering this argument.

6. Antonin Iglar(CZE, 23) -- 6,410

Iglar is the standard-bearer of the next generation, and his time has come. Objectively, he's the only player who has any real chance to unseat Benda. It's almost certain that he will, the only question is when. Probably it will take another year to two years, but if he can replicate the form he showed in crusing through all opposition in Cincinatti and the US Open, that could be sooner rather than later. I still think he'll be remembered as the best player in the post-Gorritepe area, Alastra included, before his time is done. Best guess is he finishes this year as #2 behind the German champion.

7. Gabriel Alastra(ARG, 30) -- 6,155

Flashes such as he showed at the tour finals are now few and far between, making this an opportune time to assess Alastra's place in history. His 6 Grand Slam titles are tied for 10th, 8 Masters Shields are a bit out of the top group(10th is 10 of them), and 92 weeks as #1 puts him 9th. Overall he's a solid second-tier great, bolstered by three consecutive seasons('36-'38) as the year-end #1. Not a transcendent talent, but definitely the best of his age bracket.

8. David Almagro(ESP, 29) -- 5,790

A strong finish to the year, but he's not getting any younger and missing his best event(Roland Garros) really hurt.

9. Evgeni Topolski(RUS, 26) -- 4,515

Toposki is a big, big-time disappointment. He should have been the top challenger to Benda at this point in my opinion. He's been mismanaged and seems to have lacked confidence, killer instinct ... something. The window is nearly closed for him. This past year probably should have been his best, he'll either make a big splash this year(unlikely) or be known to the history books as an underachiever.

10. David Alvarez(ESP, 27) -- 3,650

Alvarez is the current holder of the last spot, which seems to rotate between a series of players who can't make a serious move up. I expect to see him off the top page by year's end.

08-06-2015, 10:21 PM	#90
Brian Swartz Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2006	2039 FINAL TOP TEN RANKINGS And here we are, the end of a second year in this dynasty(and nearly a decade total for me) in the books. Thanks for joining me on the journey so far! 1. Bjorn Benda(DEU, 25) -- 11,450 Championships in Shanghai, Paris, and at the World Tour Finals in Belgium stamped Benda as the undisputed best player in the world. He hasn't lost an important match since the US Open three months ago, and made the quarters or better in all four slams and five Masters events. He's certainly helped by a weak cadre of contenders in his age bracket, but you can only beat the opponents in front of you. Either at or close to the peak of his powers, Benda is probably headed into a dominant 2040 campaign. 2. David Prieto(ESP, 29) -- 8,850 You can make an argument that despite his age, Prieto just had his finest season. He set a career-best with 74 wins against 17 losses and was only a sliver better in terms of winning percentage once(73-16 in '37, two years ago). The crown jewel was taking the title at the Australian Open and he'll need to repeat there if he wants to sustain this lofty position. 3. Mick Elder(USA, 28) -- 8,390 First-week defeats at the USO and Wimbledon hampered what was a spectacular season in many respects. He made six Masters finals, more than any other player, but walked away with just two crowns. Almost, but not quite in terms of being a consistent #1 threat, Elder is still more than a match for most of the elite. 4. Perry Hogue(USA, 25) -- 7,540 All signs point to a fairly quick decline now for the meteoric Hogue. He snagged the #1 ranking for almost a month in the late summer, but after a fantastic stretch lasting almost exactly one year his fall performances were disappointing, and in Perry's case it looks like a decline in athleticism, not a slump. It might be all he can do to stay in the Top 10 this year. 5. Viktor Goncharenko(RUS, 26) -- 6,420 The man who emphatically broke Alastra's stranglehold on the sport with a stunning run at Wimbledon has been decidedly unimpressive if solid since then. The general consensus is that he's a one-hit wonder who will hang around for a while, but has probably seen his lone brief moment in the sun. He has no Masters and just a single 500 to his credit, bolstering this argument. 6. Antonin Iglar(CZE, 23) -- 6,410 Iglar is the standard-bearer of the next generation, and his time has come. Objectively, he's the only player who has any real chance to unseat Benda. It's almost certain that he will, the only question is when. Probably it will take another year to two years, but if he can replicate the form he showed in crusing through all opposition in Cincinatti and the US Open, that could be sooner rather than later. I still think he'll be remembered as the best player in the post-Gorritepe area, Alastra included, before his time is done. Best guess is he finishes this year as #2 behind the German champion. 7. Gabriel Alastra(ARG, 30) -- 6,155 Flashes such as he showed at the tour finals are now few and far between, making this an opportune time to assess Alastra's place in history. His 6 Grand Slam titles are tied for 10th, 8 Masters Shields are a bit out of the top group(10th is 10 of them), and 92 weeks as #1 puts him 9th. Overall he's a solid second-tier great, bolstered by three consecutive seasons('36-'38) as the year-end #1. Not a transcendent talent, but definitely the best of his age bracket. 8. David Almagro(ESP, 29) -- 5,790 A strong finish to the year, but he's not getting any younger and missing his best event(Roland Garros) really hurt. 9. Evgeni Topolski(RUS, 26) -- 4,515 Toposki is a big, big-time disappointment. He should have been the top challenger to Benda at this point in my opinion. He's been mismanaged and seems to have lacked confidence, killer instinct ... something. The window is nearly closed for him. This past year probably should have been his best, he'll either make a big splash this year(unlikely) or be known to the history books as an underachiever. 10. David Alvarez(ESP, 27) -- 3,650 Alvarez is the current holder of the last spot, which seems to rotate between a series of players who can't make a serious move up. I expect to see him off the top page by year's end.