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Brian Swartz · 09-28-2015, 05:32 AM

The New Year has turned. That means it's time for me to spam this thread with a number of (hopefully useful and/or interesting) update posts.

Top Ten Rankings

1. Antonin Iglar(24, CZE) -- 13,790 points

Iglar finished the year with 38 straight wins. The last time he lost a singles match was the Wimbledon final, nearly six months ago. The game doesn't track streak data, but I can tell you his season was historic enough that I'll be spending a mini-update describing just how good it is. The Czech phenom took the #1 spot from Benda at exactly his 24th birthday, and I expect he'll hold it for a number of years. Simply put, he's the best there is right now and there's no question about it.

2. Bjorn Benda(26, DEU) -- 12,610

The brilliance of Iglar's star means the German champion is done at the top, but he's far from done overall. I don't expect anyone to impinge on his clay kingdom for at least the next year or two, and possibly longer. He's head and shoulders above the rest of the pack, and may well be #2 for a long time. In a year in which he won his first Slam off of clay(Wimbledon) and improved his tour-leading points total of 2039 by more than 1,000 points, Benda isn't even the top story in the game; but it should be noted he had a fantastic year -- just not historically great.

3. David Almagro(30, ESP) -- 6,680

In a very, very distant third, Almagro, like his countryman David Prieto last year, had one of his best seasons at age 30. He's hoping not to fall to pieces the next season and further emulate DP.

4. Perry Hogue(26, USA) -- 6,520

Hogue had a surprising year, rallying from looked like the onset of an early decline in his career. Maybe not quite yet. He's a match for anyone other than Iglar on the hardcourts, and looks like he might hang around a bit longer than anticipated. Hogue did exceptionally well in the smaller events, with a Masters title in Miami and semifinals at the tour finals and Wimbledon to bolster his resume.

5. Mick Elder(29, USA) -- 6,220

Never the hardest-working player, Elder has made up for that to a degree by being extremely tough in close matches. He had just one tournament title this year and none at the big events, but a trio of Slam semifinals certainly kept him very relevant.

6. David Alvarez(28, ESP) -- 5,385

Just as I'd given up on his chances to do so, Alvarez emerged as a new face on the dirt this year. His results were really unremarkable off of clay, but he was the champion in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, with runner-up finishes in Rome and at Roland Garros itself. He'll go as far as his ability to produce similar clay results allows.

7. Anil Mehul(24, SRI) -- 4,690

Mehul continues to be the highest-ranking player without a Masters title or better. One wonders if he will break through against the dominant power structure, fade, or simply continue to see similar success through consistency? Semifinals at the Australian Open, Miami, and Indian Wells saw him get off to a terrific start but the rest of the year was not particularly impressive ... until a late-season run into the World Tour Finals and a semifinal appearance there.

8. Evgeni Topolski(27, RUS) -- 4,530

Ever the underachiever, Topolski doesn't appear that he'll ever make a serious run at the best in the sport.

9. Viktor Goncharenko(27, RUS) -- 4,090

Goncharenko was surprised and miffed to narrowly miss out on the tour finals, culminating a disappointing year for the 2039 Wimbledon champion. Whether he can turn things around remains to be seen.

10. Cestmir Marcek(26, CZE) -- 4,025

Better late than never, they say. For the last year and a half, Marcek has made life miserable for many of the top players. This year he helped the Czech Republic to a close WTC final loss against Spain. For some reason, he had not found significant success in Slams, failing to reach further than the 4th round. A pair of 500 wins in Germany and China, along with a solid set of Masters results including a stunning run to the Shanghai final late in the year certain earned him some very justified notice. All signs indicate that he is a late bloomer who is still getting better.

09-28-2015, 05:32 AM	#152
Brian Swartz Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2006	The New Year has turned. That means it's time for me to spam this thread with a number of (hopefully useful and/or interesting) update posts. Top Ten Rankings 1. Antonin Iglar(24, CZE) -- 13,790 points Iglar finished the year with 38 straight wins. The last time he lost a singles match was the Wimbledon final, nearly six months ago. The game doesn't track streak data, but I can tell you his season was historic enough that I'll be spending a mini-update describing just how good it is. The Czech phenom took the #1 spot from Benda at exactly his 24th birthday, and I expect he'll hold it for a number of years. Simply put, he's the best there is right now and there's no question about it. 2. Bjorn Benda(26, DEU) -- 12,610 The brilliance of Iglar's star means the German champion is done at the top, but he's far from done overall. I don't expect anyone to impinge on his clay kingdom for at least the next year or two, and possibly longer. He's head and shoulders above the rest of the pack, and may well be #2 for a long time. In a year in which he won his first Slam off of clay(Wimbledon) and improved his tour-leading points total of 2039 by more than 1,000 points, Benda isn't even the top story in the game; but it should be noted he had a fantastic year -- just not historically great. 3. David Almagro(30, ESP) -- 6,680 In a very, very distant third, Almagro, like his countryman David Prieto last year, had one of his best seasons at age 30. He's hoping not to fall to pieces the next season and further emulate DP. 4. Perry Hogue(26, USA) -- 6,520 Hogue had a surprising year, rallying from looked like the onset of an early decline in his career. Maybe not quite yet. He's a match for anyone other than Iglar on the hardcourts, and looks like he might hang around a bit longer than anticipated. Hogue did exceptionally well in the smaller events, with a Masters title in Miami and semifinals at the tour finals and Wimbledon to bolster his resume. 5. Mick Elder(29, USA) -- 6,220 Never the hardest-working player, Elder has made up for that to a degree by being extremely tough in close matches. He had just one tournament title this year and none at the big events, but a trio of Slam semifinals certainly kept him very relevant. 6. David Alvarez(28, ESP) -- 5,385 Just as I'd given up on his chances to do so, Alvarez emerged as a new face on the dirt this year. His results were really unremarkable off of clay, but he was the champion in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, with runner-up finishes in Rome and at Roland Garros itself. He'll go as far as his ability to produce similar clay results allows. 7. Anil Mehul(24, SRI) -- 4,690 Mehul continues to be the highest-ranking player without a Masters title or better. One wonders if he will break through against the dominant power structure, fade, or simply continue to see similar success through consistency? Semifinals at the Australian Open, Miami, and Indian Wells saw him get off to a terrific start but the rest of the year was not particularly impressive ... until a late-season run into the World Tour Finals and a semifinal appearance there. 8. Evgeni Topolski(27, RUS) -- 4,530 Ever the underachiever, Topolski doesn't appear that he'll ever make a serious run at the best in the sport. 9. Viktor Goncharenko(27, RUS) -- 4,090 Goncharenko was surprised and miffed to narrowly miss out on the tour finals, culminating a disappointing year for the 2039 Wimbledon champion. Whether he can turn things around remains to be seen. 10. Cestmir Marcek(26, CZE) -- 4,025 Better late than never, they say. For the last year and a half, Marcek has made life miserable for many of the top players. This year he helped the Czech Republic to a close WTC final loss against Spain. For some reason, he had not found significant success in Slams, failing to reach further than the 4th round. A pair of 500 wins in Germany and China, along with a solid set of Masters results including a stunning run to the Shanghai final late in the year certain earned him some very justified notice. All signs indicate that he is a late bloomer who is still getting better.