[Brian Swartz]

I find the ranking updates more interesting to do these days with the number of people we have in the club. Leaves something to talk about in almost every tier.

Q2 Rankings Update

1. Nicolas Perez(24, ARG) - 12,040

What do you do when you've reached the mountaintop? Win everything in sight, strengthen your grip, and stay as long as you can. After winning Rome, winning Madrid, and reaching the RG final last year, staying on top is not as foregone conclusion. Perez will need another strong clay performance.

2. John Hart(29, IRE) - 11,160

Roland Garros could well give Hart another chance at being top dog. Whether he manages it or not is another issue, but a 4th-round exit there last year after quality showings coming in is a big part of why he's trailing. If he's going to make a fight of it, now's the time.

3. Harald Wentz(23, AUT) - 5,355

A month ago Wentz was 11th. Then he stormed his way through IW and Miami, announcing himself as the best hardcourt player around and top challenger to Perez. He could well be exactly that for the next two years, though he'll definitely have competition. I don't think Wentz will be the latest in the carousel of players to grab the third spot - he's probably here to stay. No slouch on clay himself, the young Austrian will now bid to enhance his position and start closing the gap to Hart. #3 is the best any Austrian has done, and the last time it happened the tour was in its infancy.

4. Seamus Hughes(29, IRE) - 4,970

Hughes doesn't have a single result befitting a Top 4 player this year, and I think he's starting to really feel his age against the increasingly stiff competition. He's not the only one, and he's weathered it better than most, but he's still slipping.

5. Srba Dogic(25, CRO) - 4,795

Dogic could get back up to 4th, but my money says he keeps on sliding. Too many other good players in strong positions now.

6. Chisulo Mpakati(23, ZAF) - 4,575

An early loss in Miami is the only thing really marring a strong start to the year. Mpakati could be the best bet to snag that fourth position soon.

7. Barry Molyneaux(29, USA) - 4,500

Molyneaux exited in the round of 16 in all three big events so far. That's the measure of where he is, captain of a slowly sinking ship.

8. Il-Sung Jung(24, KOR) - 4,370

Ironically, Jung is losing early enough in doubles lately to keep his singles ascencion on track. We'll see how long that lasts for him.

9. Calisto Aviles(23, ESP) - 4,155

It's time to see if last year's historic run to the top of the clay world was a fluke or a sign of things to come. It'll be a hefty fall if the Spaniard fails to repeat in RG ... but he lost early in Rome and didn't even play Madrid, so there are opportunities as well.

10. Ali Solberg(27, SWE) - 3,905

An anemic start to the year was revived with a SF showing in Miami, but with younger and better players blocking the way now it's hard to see Solberg getting back much of his former glory. He's not the old, just past his peak, but that's all it takes for the young guns to take charge when they are this good.

Half of the Top 10 is under age 25. I'm quite sure that's a first. The Age of Perez should last for some years - and he'll have company that he's going to get very familiar with. Too familiar perhaps in some cases.

11. Ollie Haas(25, NLD)

A respectable start to the year for Haas despite falling a couple spots. Only IW was a disappointment.

12. Emilien Mathou(26, FRA)

Another guy who is right where he should be after a trio of 4th-round showings.

13. Isa Solheim(27, DEN)

Poster child for 'darn these young guys are good'. Like Solberg etc., the game has just passed him by a year or two before it normally happens for a player of his quality pedigree.

15. Lucas Perez(24, ARG)

A whole bunch of nothing so far and lost his first match in IW. Lucas is one of those guys who needs to make it big on the dirt, and he's got a couple of deep masters runs to defend now.

16. Tim de Jong(26, NLD)

Looked good in Australia, but hasn't since.

18. Sushant Chiba(30, SRI)

Best old guy still playing. Still sliding, but didn't do much on the clay last year so should hold in the upper teens for now.

20. Tobias Velilla(22, ARG)

Up a few spots since the start of the year, Velilla has proven more dangerous than I predicted. Looks like he has no intention of waiting his turn.

22. Clavet Moniotte(25, FRA)

Still looking for that breakthrough in the big eventes, and clay is Moniotte's best surface. Of course there's still lots of competition.

24. Acke Kjaerstad(24, SWE)

Doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing, no better and no worse.

26. Santino Belmon(26, ITA)

Skipping IW wasn't the best idea in the world, even if he detests hard courts.

27. Algot Hakanson(25, SWE)

Still loading up on 250s, Hakanson was knocked out in the first round of the AO, did ok in Miami, and skipped IW. We'll be nice and say he's still working on being a consistent force. Up a few spots from the start of the year, but not back to his career high.

32. Andrey Rublev(24, RUS)

Looked solid in both of the recent Masters. Rublev is a jack of all trades so he could do a little something on clay ... or not.

34. Amrik Kasaravalli(24, SRI)

Making himself at home in this rut he's in, which is looking more and more like a trench. But hey, he's still a clay guy, so now's the time. Right? Please??

36. Joao Narcisco(23, BRA)

Time for the Brazilian to try and make the jump. Good job getting here ... and good luck getting out the challenger ranks. You're gonna need it.

42. Helmut Edlund(22, SWE)

Lots of challenger final losses this year. Edlund is down a few spots but that's not particularly material as he's still not ready yet. In good position for when he is though, but could definitely stand to not play himself to death.

44. Willy Weigl(22, AUT)

Same exact problem assessment here.

94. Mark Smith(20, GBR)

The best of our big generation is neither Chits nor Fitz at the moment. Two challenger wins already. Both in front of home crowds, but still. When you've just turned 20, that's not bad.

96. Tommy Fitzpatrick(20, IRE)

Broke through with the title at CH2 Bergamo a couple months ago. Overall, a consistent QF/SF performer as he works his way up.

97. Shakti Vemireddy(20, SRI)

Vemireddy has stalled out. It happens to almost everyone at some point.

101. Girish Shivakumar(20, SRI)

He's actually going backwards. It's been a few months since he made a real splash in any tournament, and he's looking up at the career-best of 90th.

116. Nasir Chittoor(20, SRI)

The sense of the crowded field grows more acute. It's hard this time of year to find a tournament ripe for Nasir to make a serious run. Patience is essential, but also hard to find. The big futures wins are starting to fall off, and he might find himself going backwards before forwards here. 175th in doubles as progress there does continue and helps.

147(D). Satyagit Guha(20, SRI)

706th in singles so maybe he still flounders there, but Guha is still pushing his way consistently up the doubles rundown. He may well be ready to graduate before Chittoor is in singles, which would be hilarious.

187. Rakesh Kayeeda(20, SRI)

194. Ritwik Intodia(20, SRI)

Making their way deliberately towards the logjam above, this pairing will definitely have something to say in the upcoming Challenger Wars.

212. Helmut Hoetker(19, SUI)

Three losses in FT1 finals this year. Hoetker is close, and will soon make the jump regardless.

860. Lubos Rucklov(18, CZE)

Runner-up at the junior Wimbledon last year, Rucklov now joins the chase. One win and a final to show for his futures efforts so far - a solid start. Decided to bypass amateurs altogther it appears.

1945. Chang-hui Cheng(18, TPE)

Not quite so accomplished as a junior, Cheng is also taking longer to get going as a pro. Made the final of his most recent amateur though, so he appears to be on his way now.

725(D). Gajimir Logovic(25, MAL)

Taken on a couple months ago by one of our newer members, Logovic is a 'starter veteran' who has been set to work playing amateur singles events to get some points. He's only 2016th on that side of things, so getting to the point where he can play both sides of tournaments in the same tier is a wise plan.