[Brian Swartz]

Race Standings(before US Open)


In

Bjorn Benda -- 9550(+960)
Antonin Iglar -- 8040(+2000)

With a pair of Masters Shields doubling his career total to four, Iglar has closed the gap substantially. Benda is still in the driver's seat, but the year-end #1 could still slip away if this continues. Had he held the early lead in Cincinatti, it would be all but over at this point.


Probable

Mick Elder -- 5570(+370)
Perry Hogue -- 5480(+690)
David Almagro -- 5200(+540)
David Alvarez -- 4895(+100)

Alvarez is falling off the pace a bit here as he's not nearly the threat on the hardcourts as he is on clay. When the official cut line is calculated after the USO, it's quite possible Elder and Hogue will be in already. They probably don't need to win another match to qualify.


Contenders

Viktor Goncharenko -- 3370(+270)
Evgeni Topolski -- 3190(+180)
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David Prieto -- 3190(+540)
Anil Mehul -- 3065(+180)

The plot has changed quite a bit here. Prieto was a semifinalist in Cincinatti for the second year in a row, leapfrogging Mehul and effectively tying himself with Topolski for the last spot in the tour finals. I honestly don't know which of the two would make it in if the season ended today. There are now four competing for two spots, and Mehul is on the bottom of the pile. Failing to make progress these last couple of weeks was quite damaging; he really needs a strong performance at either the USO or Shanghai, maybe both, to get in. 125 points is not at all a huge gap to overcome, but he can't just keep treading water. Anil needs to make something happen for himself here.


Long Shots

Julian Hammerstein -- 2650(+180)
Cestmir Marcek -- 2595(+275)
Giorgio Becerril -- 2320(+170)
Pierce Gaskell -- 2220(new)

Gaskell was a surprise quarterfinalist in Cincinatti, moving him just into the conversation here. Marcek was as well, and continues to inch closer to contention.