More so than any other professional sport outside of perhaps boxing, tennis thrives on rivalries. As an individual sport, tennis can produce some of the most intense rivalries in all of sports, which is what draws in fans. Since computer rankings began, there have been 25 different players that have reached the pinnacle of the sport. These 25 players have spanned across 46 years of tennis now, meaning many of those 25 players reached their primes at the same time, creating rivalries of epic proportions. Many rivalries are between two of the all-time greats, who peaked at the same time. However, many great rivalries have been created by a world No. 1 preventing a challenger from ever claiming the top ranking. Since tennis is so driven by rivalries, I put together a list of the 25 best rivalries in the last 46 years, since there have been 25 different world No. 1s.
25. John Newcombe vs. Ken Rosewall - These two Aussies met 15 times in the last 46 years, but many of their best meetings came before 1968, which is why they aren't higher on the list.
24. Roger Federer vs. David Nalbandian - This is the only rivalry on the list that never met in a grand slam. However, Nalbandian's eight wins against the greatest player of all time is the fifth most of any of his rivals.
23. Stefan Edberg vs. Michael Chang - These two contested one grand slam final, but their best match came a round earlier, producing one of the best matches of 1992 in the US Open semifinals.
22. Roger Federer vs. Juan Martin del Potro - Del Potro pulled off one of the biggest surprises at a grand slam final in the last decade with his five-set win over Federer at the 2009 US Open final.
21. Bjorn Borg vs. Guillermo Vilas - Both of these players are two of the best clay courters in tennis history. Of their 22 meetings, 13 were on clay, including the 1975 and 1978 Roland Garros finals.
20. Pete Sampras vs. Goran Ivanisevic - These are two of the greatest servers in tennis history. Ivanisevic never reached the top ranking, largely because of his 12 losses to Sampras.
19. Pete Sampras vs. Jim Courier - They met at least three times on every surface except grass, where their only meeting was at the 1993 Wimbledon final, which Sampras won 7-6(3), 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-3.
18. Rod Laver vs. Ken Rosewall - This is another rivalry amongst Australians that would be higher on the list if their best matches hadn't come before 1968. They did play two grand slam finals in the Open Era.
17. Roger Federer vs. Lleyton Hewitt - These two had great careers, an exciting rivalry, and amazing matches, but even if they only played one point against each other, they would still make the list. The point they played at Indian Wells remains one of the greatest single points of all time.
16. Andy Murray vs. Roger Federer - The Brit is one of only two players on this list with a favorable record against Federer. After losing his third grand slam final to Federer, Murray won the Olympic Gold Medal in front of his home crowd with a straight-set victory over his rival.
15. Roger Federer vs. Andy Roddick - There are many players who can claim that they would have had amazing careers if not for Federer, but none more so than Roddick. The former world No. 1 had his top ranking stolen by the Swiss, who never gave it back and went on to beat him in four grand slam finals.
14. Stefan Edberg vs. Ivan Lendl - This rivalry played a big part in putting the Australian Open on the same tier as the rest of the grand slams with three five-set epics down under. However, their most famous match may be the last one they ever played, which Edberg won in a fifth set tiebreaker at the 1992 US Open quarterfinals.
13. Novak Djokovic vs. Andy Murray - This rivalry took a back seat in the tennis world while Federer and Nadal dominated, but it finally took center stage in 2011. In the last three and a half years, four grand slam finals have been between these two, including Murray's win at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships that ended the British drought.
12. Ivan Lendl vs. Jimmy Connors - These two met 35 times, which is tied for the third most of any rivalry in the Open Era. Connors may have won the first 17 sets these two played and consecutive US Open titles in 1982 and 1983 over Lendl, but the Czech still finished with 13 wins in the rivalry that spanned three decades.
11. John McEnroe vs. Bjorn Borg - Their 14 meetings is the least of any rivalry on this list, but that didn't stop them from playing some of the most memorable matches in tennis history. Their most memorable was the 1980 Wimbledon final, which Borg won 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7(16), 8-6.
10. Ivan Lendl vs. Mats Wilander - These two met in five grand slam finals, which was the Open Era record at the time. They also battled each other for the No. 1 ranking in tennis throughout their careers. Wilander won their first meeting in five sets, which was the 1982 Roland Garros fourth round. Wilander went on to win his first grand slam title that fortnight.
9. Ivan Lendl vs. Boris Becker - Lendl is the greatest tennis player to have never won Wimbledon and he gets that distinction thanks to Boris Becker, who beat him three times at Wimbledon, including an epic five-set match in the 1989 semifinals. Also, their meeting in the 1988 Masters final, which Becker won 5-7, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 ended that season with arguably the greatest match of the year.
8. Bjorn Borg vs. Jimmy Connors - This is one of the few rivalries in tennis history that spans across all surface types. The head to head record on hard courts was 3-3 and on clay courts was 3-3. Borg led 5-2 on carpet and 4-0 on grass courts, but Connors took him to five sets twice at Wimbledon, including the 1977 final.
7. Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic - Federer won the first four matches of this rivalry and has never let the lead slip even though Djokovic had two chances to tie the head-to-head this season. These two met in five straight US Opens, and after Federer won the first three, Djokovic won in 2010 and 2011, coming back from down two match points in both matches. The pair met in 20 semifinals, which is an Open Era record.
6. Boris Becker vs. Stefan Edberg - These are two top 10 players all time that peaked at the same time, creating the perfect conditions for an incredible rivalry. They met in three consecutive Wimbledon finals and played 19 finals against each other in total. The draws pitted them against each other frequently early in their careers and when their rankings rose, they were frequently the last two left in the draw. It may be the second most lopsided rivalry on the list with 15 more wins by Becker, but there was rarely a lopsided match in their 35 meetings. Their six meetings at the year-end finals event remains tied for the record.
5. John McEnroe vs. Jimmy Connors - This pair was the first rivalry that battled for the No. 1 ranking with each other on almost a weekly basis. Connors was the third player to be ranked No. 1 by a computer and McEnroe was the fifth as the pair exchanged the rankings between each other 10 times. The most famous match between the two Americans came in their home country as they met in the 1980 US Open semifinals, which was decided by a fifth set tiebreak. In total, the two played five five-set matches.
4. Pete Sampras vs. Andre Agassi - This is the second all-American rivalry in the top five, and is one of the most dominant duopolies in the history of the sport with a combined 387 weeks at world No. 1 and 22 grand slam titles. The two produced several of the best matches in American tennis history with 16 of their meetings coming on home soil, including three US Open finals. However, arguably their best match came in the US Open quarterfinals of 2001. After Agassi won the first set 9-7 in a tiebreaker, Sampras won three consecutive tiebreak sets, 7-2, 7-2, 7-5. The following year, Sampras got the final title of his career with a 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win over Agassi in the US Open final.
3. Ivan Lendl vs. John McEnroe - In just 13 seasons these two met 36 times, which was the record for the most meetings in a rivalry until last year. Their 20 finals contested against each other also was a record until just a year ago. The one record they do still have is the 11 times that they traded the top ranking in the world between each other. Until just a few years ago, this was the best rivalry in tennis history because they met more times than anybody else and with more on the line in each one of their matches than any other rivalry. In every match, they battled for both titles and the No. 1 ranking. At the end, they finished with a combined 440 weeks at No. 1 and 171 titles. Both men were one title away from a career grand slam. Ivan Lendl was missing the Wimbledon title, and in their one match at SW19, McEnroe won in three sets. Meanwhile, McEnroe needed the Roland Garros title, but lost to Lendl three times in Paris, including the 1984 final, which McEnroe led by two sets to love before Lendl came roaring back for a narrow 3-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5 victory. That is the essence of a great rivalry: having to go through your rival to get what you want most.
2. Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer - This was my top rivalry just a couple weeks ago. When these two have both retired, they will likely be the greatest players in all of the Open Era. Even though their peaks weren't exactly at the same time, these two had several incredible matches in their 33 meetings, including a record eight grand slam finals. Their 2008 Wimbledon final is considered by many to be the greatest tennis match ever played. Like 22 other matches they played, Nadal won this one. After taking a two-set lead, 6-4, 6-4, Federer fought back into the match with two incredible tiebreak sets. However, Nadal claimed the fifth set in fading light for a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 win and his first Wimbledon crown after losing the final in five sets to Federer the previous year. For several years, Nadal prevented Federer from winning Roland Garros, but a fourth-round upset to Nadal in 2009 gave Federer an open path to the title and a career grand slam. Though Nadal dominated much of the rivalry, Federer's accomplishments still outnumber Nadal's. However, the Spaniard just turned 28 and still has plenty of time to catch a few of Federer's records.
1. Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic - After setting their seventh grand slam final between the two, this rivalry moved up to No. 1 on my list. They have met 42 times and in 22 finals, both of which are records. Djokovic's 19 wins against Nadal are the most against any single player while not leading the head-to-head. This is the only rivalry that has completed the career grand slam: meeting in the final of all four majors. Djokovic's four wins over Nadal in clay-court finals are the most wins against the King of Clay on his surface of any player. However, the Spaniard is still a perfect 6-0 at Roland Garros against Djokovic, who lacks only that trophy for the career grand slam. The two have already traded the No. 1 ranking twice and could do so for a third time as soon as Wimbledon. This rivalry has already met six more times than any other rivalry in the Open Era and the two players are 28 and 27 years old, meaning this could keep going for a long time. The pair averages about five or six meetings every year, so they should have well over 50 meetings when they both decide to retire.
Showing posts with label Djokovic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Djokovic. Show all posts
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Friday, May 16, 2014
World No. 1 Scenarios
Both players have already dodged early exits in Rome to help strengthen their chances of reaching or retaining the No. 1 ranking. After benefiting from an injury to Kei Nishikori, Nadal won three more matches in a row in which he needed three sets, doing so to Gilles Simon, Mikhail Youzhny, and Andy Murray, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5. Nadal then defeated Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinal. Djokovic, since returning from injury, cruised in his first round encounter with Radek Stepanek, but needed to go the distance to beat both Philipp Kohlschreiber, David Ferrer, and Milos Raonic to reach the fnal. Both players are playing in the Rome final tomorrow, so here is what each player has to do to be the world No. 1 on June 9, 2014.
If Nadal beats Djokovic in the Rome final, then...
Nadal would hold a 170-point lead over Djokovic going into Roland Garros when the points they are defending at Roland Garros are taken away. That means Djokovic would have to do 170 points better than Nadal in Paris.
-If Djokovic loses before the round of 16, Nadal will remain the world No. 1
-If Djokovic reaches the round of 16, Nadal would have to lose in the first round, which would create a tie for No. 1 in the world.
-If Djokovic goes past the round of 16, he would have to go just one round further than Nadal to become the world No. 1
If Djokovic beats Nadal in the Rome final, then...
Djokovic would hold a 630-point lead over Nadal going into Roland Garros when the points they are defending at Roland Garros are taken away. That means Nadal would have to do 630 points better than Djokovic in Paris.
-If Nadal loses before semifinals, Djokovic will become the world No. 1
-If Nadal reaches the semifinals, Djokovic would have to lose in the first three rounds for Nadal to remain the world No. 1
-If Nadal reaches the semifinals and Djokovic loses in the third round, it would create a tie for No. 1 in the world
-If Nadal reaches the final, Djokovic would have to lose before the semifinals for Nadal to remain the world No. 1
-If Nadal wins the title, he will remain world No. 1
Friday, April 25, 2014
Myth vs. Math: Rafa, Nole, and Draws
This is the third installment in a five-part series called
Myth vs. Math. In this series, I am taking a look at five widely-accepted
statements that tennis writers, analysts, fans, and commentators frequently
make. I'm checking to see if these statements hold up against the numbers. The
first two statements in this series were "big
servers have a notable advantage in tiebreakers" and "Novak Djokovic has the best defensive
return in the game right now." The
third statement that is being put to the test is "Rafael Nadal tends to get tougher draws than Djokovic since
making his return from injury."
Draws are a fascinating thing in tennis. The randomness of
draws can make the ceremony almost as exciting as a real tennis match, and the
anticipation for when the draw is released can be as great as the anticipation
of the slam itself. After the draw is released, tennis fans have one or two
days to analyze and predict what is in store for the days ahead. And regardless
of what the draw says, there is a 100% chance that someone will claim their
favorite player has a harder draw than someone else.
Now, if we created a bar graph for the ranking of their opponents faced, both players would have a graph that skews towards the higher ranking, with the mode at the low ranking. For graphs like that, the median is a much more telling summary statistic than the mean. However, Djokovic has a tougher median-ranked opponent as well. The median rank of his opponents is 23, while Nadal's is 29.
The opponents Nadal would have faced if the seeds held at
each of the last four majors were 14.5% harder than average opponents for him. For
Djokovic though, his opponents were 19.2% tougher than his average opponents.
So if both players played against who they should have according to the draw,
Djokovic had the much tougher draws overall.
Flaws in the Math
Since Nadal's return, Djokovic has always been ranked in the
top two, meaning he should be getting the easiest draws possible at every
tournament he plays in. Nadal, though,
was ranked no higher than three for the first seven months of his
comeback and even dropped as low as five for several 1000 events and Wimbledon.
So Nadal really deserved to have the tougher draws, but instead wound up with even easier opponents than his higher-seeded rival.
Conclusion
Also, when Nadal was ranked outside of the top two, there was the possibility that both players could wind up on the same half of the draw. Since Nadal was chasing Djokovic for the world No. 1 ranking, opportunities to play Djokovic earlier in tournaments was good for Nadal. Instead of having to wait until the final to play Djokovic, playing him earlier meant he had the chance to prevent him from earning ranking points.
The Myth
It's the worst excuse in the book, but it's still the most
common complaint amongst tennis fans of every player. Since the dawn of draws
tennis fans have complained that their player always gets the hardest draws and
that all of their rivals always get the easy draw.
Draws are a fascinating thing in tennis. The randomness of
draws can make the ceremony almost as exciting as a real tennis match, and the
anticipation for when the draw is released can be as great as the anticipation
of the slam itself. After the draw is released, tennis fans have one or two
days to analyze and predict what is in store for the days ahead. And regardless
of what the draw says, there is a 100% chance that someone will claim their
favorite player has a harder draw than someone else.
It happens at every major tournament in tennis history, but
since the 2014 Australian Open men's singles draw was released, the Rafael
Nadal fans have made an inordinate amount of griping about the difficulty of
Novak Djokovic's draw. However they took it as far as to exaggerate that
Djokovic always gets easier draws.
It has gotten to the point where Nadal fans have said it so
much that even Djokovic fans have begun to believe it. On the ATP website, a
Nadal fan accused Djokovic of cheating to which a Djokovic fan replied "He
does typically get the easier draws, but that is out of his control." So
does Djokovic really tend to get significantly easier draws? Are Djokovic's
opponents easier than Nadal's? Are the matchups created by the draw really
better for Djokovic?
The Math
I'm going to do the math on tournaments since the start of
the 2013 season, since that is when the complaints have really picked up from
Nadal fans (there wasn't much to complain about when Djokovic and Roger Federer
were on the same side of the draw at 13-of-15 slams). When looking at
specifically the slams, I will focus on just the last four since Nadal didn't
play in the 2014 Australian Open.
There is special attention paid to the draws at the slams,
and rightfully so, since that's where the most is at stake. However, I first
want to look at strength of schedule overall. Since the start of 2013, Nadal,
who has played four more matches, has had to play against top 10 opponents
three less times and top 20 opponents five less times.
Overall, Nadal's average opponent had a ranking of 45.1,
while Djokovic's average opponent had a ranking of 35.8. However, Nadal did
have a match against a player ranked 570, and a player ranked 570 isn't much
easier than anyone else outside the top 100 for Djokovic and Nadal. If we
change the ranking of every player outside the top 100 to exactly 100, Djokovic
still has had to face tougher opponents with a new mean rank of 32.5 compared
to 37.7 for Nadal, which is still higher than Djokovic's original rank.Now, if we created a bar graph for the ranking of their opponents faced, both players would have a graph that skews towards the higher ranking, with the mode at the low ranking. For graphs like that, the median is a much more telling summary statistic than the mean. However, Djokovic has a tougher median-ranked opponent as well. The median rank of his opponents is 23, while Nadal's is 29.
If rankings in tennis were done like they are in college
football or college basketball in the United States, there could be a case to
be made that Djokovic is the rightful world No. 1 right now, because his
strength of schedule is clearly superior to Nadal's over the last 15 months.
However, what about the majors? Is Nadal's strength of schedule week only
because he plays a lot more tune-up events than Djokovic or does the same hold
true at the biggest tournaments in the game?
To find the toughness of draws, I looked at the 20 seeded
players that Nadal and Djokovic each would have played if seeds held at each of
the last four majors. However, instead of looking at how high those players
were ranked, I want to look at how tough of a matchup each player is based on
previous head-to-head records.
Nadal held a 69.2 win percentage against his scheduled
opponents, compared to Djokovic, who had the tougher path with 61.5 win
percentage against his opponents. However, Nadal does have a higher win
percentage against his opponents, partially because he does well against
everyone. So if we compare each players' win percentage against an average
opponent to their win percentage against their should-be opponents, we can see
how tough the matchups that their draw created really were.
| Rafael Nadal's path at last four majors | Novak Djokovic's path at last four majors | |||||||||
| Head-to-Head | Head-to-Head | |||||||||
| Slam | Seed | Opponent | Wins | Losses | Win% | Seed | Opponent | Wins | Losses | Win% |
| AO | 25 | Gael Monfils | 10 | 2 | 0.833 | 30 | Tursunov | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Kei Nishikori | 6 | 0 | 1 | 15 | Fognini | 7 | 0 | 1 | |
| 5 | Juan Martin Del Potro | 8 | 4 | 0.667 | 8 | Wawrinka | 15 | 3 | 0.833 | |
| 4 | Andy Murray | 13 | 5 | 0.722 | 3 | Ferrer | 11 | 5 | 0.688 | |
| 2 | Novak Djokovic | 22 | 18 | 0.55 | 1 | Nadal | 18 | 22 | 0.45 | |
| USO | 27 | Fernando Verdasco | 13 | 1 | 0.929 | 25 | Dimitrov | 3 | 1 | 0.75 |
| 13 | John Isner | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16 | Fognini | 7 | 0 | 1 | |
| 7 | Roger Federer | 23 | 10 | 0.697 | 6 | Del Potro | 11 | 3 | 0.786 | |
| 4 | David Ferrer | 21 | 5 | 0.808 | 3 | Murray | 12 | 8 | 0.6 | |
| 1 | Novak Djokovic | 22 | 18 | 0.55 | 2 | Nadal | 18 | 22 | 0.45 | |
| W | 25 | Benoit Paire | 2 | 0 | 1 | 28 | Chardy | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Stanislas Wawrinka | 12 | 1 | 0.923 | 13 | Haas | 6 | 3 | 0.667 | |
| 3 | Roger Federer | 23 | 10 | 0.697 | 7 | Berdych | 15 | 2 | 0.882 | |
| 2 | Andy Murray | 13 | 5 | 0.722 | 4 | Ferrer | 11 | 5 | 0.688 | |
| 1 | Novak Djokovic | 22 | 18 | 0.55 | 2 | Murray | 12 | 8 | 0.6 | |
| RG | 27 | Fabio Fognini | 4 | 0 | 1 | 26 | Dimitrov | 3 | 1 | 0.75 |
| 13 | Kei Nishikori | 6 | 0 | 1 | 16 | Kohslschreiber | 3 | 1 | 0.75 | |
| 7 | Richard Gasquet | 12 | 0 | 1 | 8 | Tipsarevic | 5 | 2 | 0.714 | |
| 1 | Novak Djokovic | 22 | 18 | 0.55 | 3 | Nadal | 18 | 22 | 0.45 | |
| 2 | Roger Federer | 23 | 10 | 0.697 | 2 | Federer | 16 | 17 | 0.485 | |
| Average Opponents | 679 | 132 | 0.837 | Average Opponents | 559 | 134 | 0.807 | |||
| Opponents in Path | 281 | 125 | 0.692 | Opponents in Path | 200 | 125 | 0.615 | |||
| Bolded Opponents | 105 | 61 | 0.633 | Bolded Opponents | 123 | 84 | 0.594 | |||
| * | Opponents in bold are ones that reached the round in which they would've met | |||||||||
Even with Nadal's easy draws, things got even easier for
him. Of those 20 opponents that he should have faced, only eight of them
actually got far enough in the tournament to have to play against Nadal. And
those eight that got far enough were only 16.4% tougher matchups than
average opponents. Djokovic, on the other hand, had 11 opponents, who got far
enough to play against Djokovic. Those 11 opponents were 21.3% tougher than
average opponents.
So since Nadal's return, he has gotten to face lower-ranked
opponents than Djokovic, gotten more favorable potential matchups in the
majors, and seen more of his opponents bow out before he even had to play
against them.Flaws in the Math
The flaws in the math is that the
math doesn't take into consideration how hard each player's draw should have been. The way the draws work is that
there is no difference in who the No. 1 seed and who the No. 2 seed could play
against in each round. Both of the top two seeds are guaranteed to be on
opposite sides of the draw and any other player can wind up on either half of the draw. Players who are seeded
three or lower start seeing more difficult draws, and even more so for the
players outside the top four.
Since Nadal's return, Djokovic has always been ranked in the
top two, meaning he should be getting the easiest draws possible at every
tournament he plays in. Nadal, though,
was ranked no higher than three for the first seven months of his
comeback and even dropped as low as five for several 1000 events and Wimbledon.
So Nadal really deserved to have the tougher draws, but instead wound up with even easier opponents than his higher-seeded rival.Conclusion
Nadal fans that complain that Djokovic tends to get the
easier draws are wrong. Even though Djokovic deserved to get easier draws, he
was the one who had to face tougher opponents and was set up to have tougher
matchups.
Nadal fans will remember how stacked Nadal's top half of the
draw was at Australian Open and how Nadal had a potential meeting set up in the
Wimbledon quarterfinals with Federer. However, in both cases, Nadal's expected
opponents were victims of major upsets and Nadal's draw opened up. Meanwhile,
Djokovic had the tougher matchups at each of the other two slams, and actually
had to go against them. Also, when Nadal was ranked outside of the top two, there was the possibility that both players could wind up on the same half of the draw. Since Nadal was chasing Djokovic for the world No. 1 ranking, opportunities to play Djokovic earlier in tournaments was good for Nadal. Instead of having to wait until the final to play Djokovic, playing him earlier meant he had the chance to prevent him from earning ranking points.
So even though having to face the world No. 1 before a final
made Nadal's strength of schedule seem better, it was actually a benefit for
him in the race for No. 1. It's normal for fans to think that their player
always gets the toughest draws, but Nadal couldn't have asked for it to be much
easier as he overtook Djokovic in the rankings.
Monday, February 24, 2014
2/24/2014 YTD Country Power Rankings
These are the rankings of how each country has done since the end of the 2013 tennis season. Rankings are based mainly on the year-to-date ranking of the individuals from that country from before Acapulco, Sao Paulo, and Dubai began.
1. Spain - Not surprisingly, Spain has dethroned Switzerland thanks to Rafael Nadal's win in Rio and David Ferrer's win in Buenos Aires. Spain continues to be the most dominant tennis country in the world with three players in the top 20 of the year-to-date rankings.
2. Switzerland - After not having a single player from its country play a tour-level match since my last rankings two weeks ago, Switzerland has dropped its No. 1 ranking. Still, it did avoid falling behind France to No. 3 in the rankings, but it would take an incredible effort at Indian Wells to avoid letting that happen.
3. France - The only country that stayed where it was in the top five, France let a home tournament slip to Latvia, when Ernests Gulbis defeated two top 10 Frenchmen in Marseille. However, Gael Monfils did get some company towards the top of the year-to-date rankings with better representation at the top of the sport from France.
4. United States - John Isner and red-hot Steve Johnson both reached the semifinals of Delray Beach. Match that with Michael Russell's quarterfinal in Memphis and the US slides ahead of Germany into No. 4. Still waiting for better results for Sam Querrey and Ryan Harrison.
5. Germany - Peter Gojowczyk and Florian Mayer, the top two Germans in 2014, didn't gain any ranking points in the last two weeks. Despite a few solid wins from Tommy Haas and Philipp Kohlschreiber, Germany wasn't able to hold onto its edge over the US.
6. Czech Republic - The Czechs improve to No. 6 thanks to Tomas Berdych's first title since 2012. The Czech No. 1 hasn't received much help from his countrymen though.
7. Croatia - Marin Cilic is on fire. He almost single-handily improved Croatia seven spots, earning 550 rankings points with a final in Rotterdam and a title in Delray Beach. He has now won 14-of-15 matches since the Australian Open.
8. Argentina - The South American country is well-represented, Juan Martin del Potro's slow start in 2014 has been costly. The Argentine's dropped two spots, but they should be back into the top six by year's end if not top five.
9. Italy - Fabio Fogini is carrying Italy like Sam carried Frodo in the Lord of the Rings. He won six matches in the last two weeks and ranks seventh in the year-to-date rankings, which is good enough for Italy to earn a spot in the top 10.
10. Japan - The blossoming East Asian tennis country may have moved down a spot, but all seven of its top players remained in the top 140 of the YTD rankings. Kei Nishikori will need some help if Japan wants to stay in the top 10.
11. Australia - As I said in the previous rankings, the farther we get from January, the lower the Australians go. They are now down three spots, and we are just two more weeks separated from the Happy Slam.
12. Serbia - It could be worse. If it weren't for a good pair of weeks from Ilija Bozoljac, Serbia would be No. 14. If Novak Djokovic doesn't win Dubai, it could be time to worry for Serbian tennis fans.
13. Russia - There's nothing new from the Russian Federation. Still just waiting for Mikhail Youzhny and Alex Bogomolov to start winning again.
14. Great Britain - The Brits dropped three spots as Andy Murray continues to struggle.
15. Ukraine - Alexander Dolgopolov reached his first final since 2012 Washington D.C. That boosted Ukraine five spots.
16. Colombia - Not much activity from the Colombians during the Golden Swing. This is why Bogota should be held in February on clay.
17. Latvia - One is the loneliest number. Latvia is the highest country with only one player in the top 300 in YTD rankings. At least Ernests Gulbis is the No. 1. Even Benoit Paire has surpassed him in broken rackets.
18. Netherlands - Robin Haase decided to skip his home country's tournament to play in South America, which didn't pay off to well. He earned a total of just 45 ranking points in two weeks' worth of work.
19. Bulgaria - Grigor Dimitrov lost to Gulbis in Rotterdam round of 16 as Bulgaria drops one spot.
20. Chinese Taipei - Yen-Hsun Lu reached the semifinals in Memphis, but Tsung-Hua Yang's YTD ranking dropped to 143, causing Taiwan's ranking to drop to No. 20.
21. Kazakhstan
22. India
23. Canada
24. Slovakia
25. South Africa
26. Brazil
27. Poland
28. Austria
29. Finland
30. Slovenia
31. Romania
32. Uzbekistan
33. Lithuania
34. Israel
35. Portugal
36. Dominican Republic
37. Bosnia & Herzegovina
38. Hungary
39. Tunisia
40. Luxembourg
41. Georgia
42. Belarus
1. Spain - Not surprisingly, Spain has dethroned Switzerland thanks to Rafael Nadal's win in Rio and David Ferrer's win in Buenos Aires. Spain continues to be the most dominant tennis country in the world with three players in the top 20 of the year-to-date rankings.
2. Switzerland - After not having a single player from its country play a tour-level match since my last rankings two weeks ago, Switzerland has dropped its No. 1 ranking. Still, it did avoid falling behind France to No. 3 in the rankings, but it would take an incredible effort at Indian Wells to avoid letting that happen.
3. France - The only country that stayed where it was in the top five, France let a home tournament slip to Latvia, when Ernests Gulbis defeated two top 10 Frenchmen in Marseille. However, Gael Monfils did get some company towards the top of the year-to-date rankings with better representation at the top of the sport from France.
4. United States - John Isner and red-hot Steve Johnson both reached the semifinals of Delray Beach. Match that with Michael Russell's quarterfinal in Memphis and the US slides ahead of Germany into No. 4. Still waiting for better results for Sam Querrey and Ryan Harrison.
5. Germany - Peter Gojowczyk and Florian Mayer, the top two Germans in 2014, didn't gain any ranking points in the last two weeks. Despite a few solid wins from Tommy Haas and Philipp Kohlschreiber, Germany wasn't able to hold onto its edge over the US.
6. Czech Republic - The Czechs improve to No. 6 thanks to Tomas Berdych's first title since 2012. The Czech No. 1 hasn't received much help from his countrymen though.
7. Croatia - Marin Cilic is on fire. He almost single-handily improved Croatia seven spots, earning 550 rankings points with a final in Rotterdam and a title in Delray Beach. He has now won 14-of-15 matches since the Australian Open.
8. Argentina - The South American country is well-represented, Juan Martin del Potro's slow start in 2014 has been costly. The Argentine's dropped two spots, but they should be back into the top six by year's end if not top five.
9. Italy - Fabio Fogini is carrying Italy like Sam carried Frodo in the Lord of the Rings. He won six matches in the last two weeks and ranks seventh in the year-to-date rankings, which is good enough for Italy to earn a spot in the top 10.
10. Japan - The blossoming East Asian tennis country may have moved down a spot, but all seven of its top players remained in the top 140 of the YTD rankings. Kei Nishikori will need some help if Japan wants to stay in the top 10.
11. Australia - As I said in the previous rankings, the farther we get from January, the lower the Australians go. They are now down three spots, and we are just two more weeks separated from the Happy Slam.
12. Serbia - It could be worse. If it weren't for a good pair of weeks from Ilija Bozoljac, Serbia would be No. 14. If Novak Djokovic doesn't win Dubai, it could be time to worry for Serbian tennis fans.
13. Russia - There's nothing new from the Russian Federation. Still just waiting for Mikhail Youzhny and Alex Bogomolov to start winning again.
14. Great Britain - The Brits dropped three spots as Andy Murray continues to struggle.
15. Ukraine - Alexander Dolgopolov reached his first final since 2012 Washington D.C. That boosted Ukraine five spots.
16. Colombia - Not much activity from the Colombians during the Golden Swing. This is why Bogota should be held in February on clay.
17. Latvia - One is the loneliest number. Latvia is the highest country with only one player in the top 300 in YTD rankings. At least Ernests Gulbis is the No. 1. Even Benoit Paire has surpassed him in broken rackets.
18. Netherlands - Robin Haase decided to skip his home country's tournament to play in South America, which didn't pay off to well. He earned a total of just 45 ranking points in two weeks' worth of work.
19. Bulgaria - Grigor Dimitrov lost to Gulbis in Rotterdam round of 16 as Bulgaria drops one spot.
20. Chinese Taipei - Yen-Hsun Lu reached the semifinals in Memphis, but Tsung-Hua Yang's YTD ranking dropped to 143, causing Taiwan's ranking to drop to No. 20.
21. Kazakhstan
22. India
23. Canada
24. Slovakia
25. South Africa
26. Brazil
27. Poland
28. Austria
29. Finland
30. Slovenia
31. Romania
32. Uzbekistan
33. Lithuania
34. Israel
35. Portugal
36. Dominican Republic
37. Bosnia & Herzegovina
38. Hungary
39. Tunisia
40. Luxembourg
41. Georgia
42. Belarus
Sunday, February 16, 2014
2014 YTD Power Rankings by Country
These are the rankings of how each country has done since the end of the 2013 tennis season. Rankings are based mainly on the year-to-date ranking of the individuals from that country from before Memphis, Rotterdam, and Buenos Aires began.
1. Switzerland - When two of the three best players in the world come from the same country, it's a safe bet that that country is the best in the world. Stanislas Wawrinka and Roger Federer have been on fire to start 2014. Wawrinka won the Australian Open and Chennai, while Federer reached the final of Brisbane and semifinals in Melbourne. The next week, the two worked together to send Switzerland to the Davis Cup quarterfinals. The country finished 2012 in my top four, but dropped down to No. 7 in 2013. Switzerland could challenge for a top three finish in 2014 thanks to poor starts from Argentina and Serbia.
2. Spain- Doha champion and Australian Open semifinalist Rafael Nadal alone has done enough to earn Spain a top three spot on this list. Add on the effort of 10 other players in the top 140 for the year-to-date rankings, and the Spaniards are in a good position to start the season. Spain has been No. 1 in every 52-week Power Rankings list. With the clay season just over a month away, it won't be long before the country is No. 1 in the year-to-date Power Rankings list.
3. France- Strength in numbers is a phrase that is exemplified by French tennis. The country lacks a clear No. 1, with the spot being shared by Gilles Simon, Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Richard Gasquet over the past few years. However, it has always remained on of the top three countries simply because there are so many Frenchmen at the top of the game. Both at the end of 2012 and 2013, France was the most well-represented country in the top 140. There are already 14 Frenchmen in the top 140 in the world so far in 2014, which is three more than any other country.
4. Germany- After starting the season as the top country in the world, has cooled off a bit. However, Germany still finds itself at No. 4. Despite poor starts from Tommy Haas and Philipp Kohlschreiber, the rest of Germany has picked up the slack. Florian Mayer has already racked up a country-best 310 ranking points in 2014 and led the country to a Davis Cup win over No. 2 Spain. Peter Gojowczyk started the year 14-2 in all matches and cracked the top 100 for the first time in his career. 33-year old Michael Berrer has come up through qualifying and advanced to the second round of two different tournaments, including the Australian Open.
5. United States- Aside from John Isner's title in Auckland, it has been all about the young Americans, who put the United States in the top five. The US just missed out on top five finishes in 2012 and 2013, finishing No. 6 this year. Staying ahead of Serbia seems unlikely, but the possibility of jumping Germany is there if Sam Querrey and Isner can return to form. The US is tied with Spain for second best representation in the year-to-date rankings with 11 different players in the top 140. Bradley Klahn has already claimed two challenger titles this year, while Steve Johnson has one of his own. Donald Young also reached the third round of the Australian Open.
6. Argentina- Leonardo Mayer has reached the final in Vina Del Mar and won a challenger title already. The 26-year old is now near a career-high ranking. This could be a breakthrough kind of year for him. Juan Martin del Potro also has a 250 title of his own, but a disappointing performance at the Australian Open overshadowed his success. Once the clay season comes, Argentina will rise in the rankings with players like Guido Pella, Carlos Berlocq, Juan Monaco and Martin Alund typically playing their best tennis on clay.
7. Czech Republic- Although two-time defending Davis Cup champions, Czech Republic has never done too well in the Power Rankings. The Czechs usually stay between eight and 10 in the rankings, but a semifinal performance at the Australian Open by Tomas Berdych has gotten the country to a good start. These rankings were made before Berdych's title in Rotterdam, so the Czech Republic will continue to rise in the rankings as the season goes on.
8. Australia- Since the start of each season is in Australia, the country always starts better than it finishes. Australia won't continue to benefit from teenagers, who took advantage of wildcards, so their ranking will drop several starts by the end of June. However, Lleyton Hewitt defeated Roger Federer to win Brisbane, which proves that he still can compete with anyone on tour. We also got a look at just how good the teenagers in Australia are, so even though they won't be on tour for a few more years, the future of Australian tennis is very good. Players like Nick Kyrgios, Luke Saville, and Thanasi Kokkinakis will join Bernard Tomic to form a very solid group of Australians that all be future top 50 players.
9. Japan- Kei Nishikori has carried Japan's ranking for a few years now, keeping them at around 15. However, Japan's depth is growing quickly with four other players in the top 100 of the year-to-date rankings. Taro Daniel, who trains in Spain could be the most promising of all of them. Daniel reached the quarterfinals through qualifying in Vina del Mar. The 21-year old, who was born in New York, cracked the top 200 for the first time and has 57 ranking points that aren't going anywhere for the next 12 months.
10. Italy- Fabio Fognini is among one of the hottest players on tour with his form right now. However, the rest of Italy hasn't been enjoying his level of success. Despite winning its first round of Davis Cup, there are only five other players in the top 200, and they don't combine for half as many points as Fognini.
11. Great Britain- Normally Great Britain's ranking is based solely on Andy Murray. This year though, he has some support from Daniel Smethurst, James Ward, and Daniel Evans, who reached the semifinals in Zagreb. Great Britain knocked off the United States in Davis Cup play and will face Italy next. The Brits still need Murray to perform if they want to finish in the top 10 in 2014. The second half of the season is where he is at his best.
12. Serbia- Last year's Davis Cup runner-up has gotten off to a brutal start in 2014. Serbia has already been eliminated from Davis Cup, Novak Djokovic failed to reach a major semifinal for the first time since 2010, and Viktor Troicki and Janko Tipsarevic haven't even stepped on the court yet. The bright spots for Serbia have come from the young players. Laslo Djere and Nikola Milojevic have made quick transitions from the junior tour onto the futures. Also, Dusan Lajovic and Pedja Krstin have both earned career-high rankings. If Djokovic, Troicki, and Tipsarevic all return to form Serbia could get back to being a top-two nation.
13. Russia- Mikhail Youzhny has struggled so far in 2014. Russia can only go up.
14. Croatia- Marin Cilic has been incredible this year, but the rest of the country hasn't helped him. Ivan Dodig's only wins have come against fellow Croat Ivo Karlovic, who struggled after upsetting Tomas Berdych. Cilic and Karlovic each reached the finals of their respective tournaments this week, so they will rise in the rankings later this year.
15. Columbia- Alejandro Gonzalez earned a career-best 74 after reaching the final of his first challenger of the year. Along with Alejandro Falla and Santiago Giraldo, the Colombians are always dangerous from Miami to Roland Garros.
16. Canada- It has been a slow start for the Canadians, and Milos Raonic isn't playing in February this year, which is when he is normally at his best. Vasek Pospisil has established himself as a mainstay on tour. He will be key if Canada continues to rise.
17. Chinese Taipei- After Switzerland, Taiwan has had the most surprising start to the 2014 season. Yen-Hsun Lu is ranked 28 in the year-to-date rankings thanks an incredible week in Auckland. He also did very well this week in Memphis. At 30 years-old, he is playing the best tennis of his career.
18. Bulgaria- Grigor Dimitrov is the 10th ranked player in the world in the Race to London. BabyFed reached the quarterfinals in Australia erasing some doubt that he couldn't win best-of-5 matches.
19. Slovenia- 23-year old Blaz Rola came up through qualifying to reach the second round of the Australian Open, earning a career-high ranking of 152. Along with Blaz Kavcic and Aljaz Bedene, those three carry Slovenia's ranking.
20. Ukraine- Considering the brutal start to the season for Alexander Dolgopolov, Ukraine in the top 20 seems surprising. However, there is no other team left that has three players with at least 70 ranking points so far in 2014. Sergiy Stakhovsky reached the semifinals in Sydney as a qualifier.
21. Finland
22. India
23. Brazil
24. Netherlands
25. Kazakhstan
26. Slovakia
27. South Africa
28. Uzbekistan
29. Poland
30. Romania
31. Israel
32. Bosnia & Herzegovina
33. Hungary
34. Latvia
35. Lithuania
36. Austria
37. Tunisia
38. Belarus
39. Portugal
40. Venezuela
1. Switzerland - When two of the three best players in the world come from the same country, it's a safe bet that that country is the best in the world. Stanislas Wawrinka and Roger Federer have been on fire to start 2014. Wawrinka won the Australian Open and Chennai, while Federer reached the final of Brisbane and semifinals in Melbourne. The next week, the two worked together to send Switzerland to the Davis Cup quarterfinals. The country finished 2012 in my top four, but dropped down to No. 7 in 2013. Switzerland could challenge for a top three finish in 2014 thanks to poor starts from Argentina and Serbia.
2. Spain- Doha champion and Australian Open semifinalist Rafael Nadal alone has done enough to earn Spain a top three spot on this list. Add on the effort of 10 other players in the top 140 for the year-to-date rankings, and the Spaniards are in a good position to start the season. Spain has been No. 1 in every 52-week Power Rankings list. With the clay season just over a month away, it won't be long before the country is No. 1 in the year-to-date Power Rankings list.
3. France- Strength in numbers is a phrase that is exemplified by French tennis. The country lacks a clear No. 1, with the spot being shared by Gilles Simon, Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Richard Gasquet over the past few years. However, it has always remained on of the top three countries simply because there are so many Frenchmen at the top of the game. Both at the end of 2012 and 2013, France was the most well-represented country in the top 140. There are already 14 Frenchmen in the top 140 in the world so far in 2014, which is three more than any other country.
4. Germany- After starting the season as the top country in the world, has cooled off a bit. However, Germany still finds itself at No. 4. Despite poor starts from Tommy Haas and Philipp Kohlschreiber, the rest of Germany has picked up the slack. Florian Mayer has already racked up a country-best 310 ranking points in 2014 and led the country to a Davis Cup win over No. 2 Spain. Peter Gojowczyk started the year 14-2 in all matches and cracked the top 100 for the first time in his career. 33-year old Michael Berrer has come up through qualifying and advanced to the second round of two different tournaments, including the Australian Open.
5. United States- Aside from John Isner's title in Auckland, it has been all about the young Americans, who put the United States in the top five. The US just missed out on top five finishes in 2012 and 2013, finishing No. 6 this year. Staying ahead of Serbia seems unlikely, but the possibility of jumping Germany is there if Sam Querrey and Isner can return to form. The US is tied with Spain for second best representation in the year-to-date rankings with 11 different players in the top 140. Bradley Klahn has already claimed two challenger titles this year, while Steve Johnson has one of his own. Donald Young also reached the third round of the Australian Open.
6. Argentina- Leonardo Mayer has reached the final in Vina Del Mar and won a challenger title already. The 26-year old is now near a career-high ranking. This could be a breakthrough kind of year for him. Juan Martin del Potro also has a 250 title of his own, but a disappointing performance at the Australian Open overshadowed his success. Once the clay season comes, Argentina will rise in the rankings with players like Guido Pella, Carlos Berlocq, Juan Monaco and Martin Alund typically playing their best tennis on clay.
7. Czech Republic- Although two-time defending Davis Cup champions, Czech Republic has never done too well in the Power Rankings. The Czechs usually stay between eight and 10 in the rankings, but a semifinal performance at the Australian Open by Tomas Berdych has gotten the country to a good start. These rankings were made before Berdych's title in Rotterdam, so the Czech Republic will continue to rise in the rankings as the season goes on.
8. Australia- Since the start of each season is in Australia, the country always starts better than it finishes. Australia won't continue to benefit from teenagers, who took advantage of wildcards, so their ranking will drop several starts by the end of June. However, Lleyton Hewitt defeated Roger Federer to win Brisbane, which proves that he still can compete with anyone on tour. We also got a look at just how good the teenagers in Australia are, so even though they won't be on tour for a few more years, the future of Australian tennis is very good. Players like Nick Kyrgios, Luke Saville, and Thanasi Kokkinakis will join Bernard Tomic to form a very solid group of Australians that all be future top 50 players.
9. Japan- Kei Nishikori has carried Japan's ranking for a few years now, keeping them at around 15. However, Japan's depth is growing quickly with four other players in the top 100 of the year-to-date rankings. Taro Daniel, who trains in Spain could be the most promising of all of them. Daniel reached the quarterfinals through qualifying in Vina del Mar. The 21-year old, who was born in New York, cracked the top 200 for the first time and has 57 ranking points that aren't going anywhere for the next 12 months.
10. Italy- Fabio Fognini is among one of the hottest players on tour with his form right now. However, the rest of Italy hasn't been enjoying his level of success. Despite winning its first round of Davis Cup, there are only five other players in the top 200, and they don't combine for half as many points as Fognini.
11. Great Britain- Normally Great Britain's ranking is based solely on Andy Murray. This year though, he has some support from Daniel Smethurst, James Ward, and Daniel Evans, who reached the semifinals in Zagreb. Great Britain knocked off the United States in Davis Cup play and will face Italy next. The Brits still need Murray to perform if they want to finish in the top 10 in 2014. The second half of the season is where he is at his best.
12. Serbia- Last year's Davis Cup runner-up has gotten off to a brutal start in 2014. Serbia has already been eliminated from Davis Cup, Novak Djokovic failed to reach a major semifinal for the first time since 2010, and Viktor Troicki and Janko Tipsarevic haven't even stepped on the court yet. The bright spots for Serbia have come from the young players. Laslo Djere and Nikola Milojevic have made quick transitions from the junior tour onto the futures. Also, Dusan Lajovic and Pedja Krstin have both earned career-high rankings. If Djokovic, Troicki, and Tipsarevic all return to form Serbia could get back to being a top-two nation.
13. Russia- Mikhail Youzhny has struggled so far in 2014. Russia can only go up.
14. Croatia- Marin Cilic has been incredible this year, but the rest of the country hasn't helped him. Ivan Dodig's only wins have come against fellow Croat Ivo Karlovic, who struggled after upsetting Tomas Berdych. Cilic and Karlovic each reached the finals of their respective tournaments this week, so they will rise in the rankings later this year.
15. Columbia- Alejandro Gonzalez earned a career-best 74 after reaching the final of his first challenger of the year. Along with Alejandro Falla and Santiago Giraldo, the Colombians are always dangerous from Miami to Roland Garros.
16. Canada- It has been a slow start for the Canadians, and Milos Raonic isn't playing in February this year, which is when he is normally at his best. Vasek Pospisil has established himself as a mainstay on tour. He will be key if Canada continues to rise.
17. Chinese Taipei- After Switzerland, Taiwan has had the most surprising start to the 2014 season. Yen-Hsun Lu is ranked 28 in the year-to-date rankings thanks an incredible week in Auckland. He also did very well this week in Memphis. At 30 years-old, he is playing the best tennis of his career.
18. Bulgaria- Grigor Dimitrov is the 10th ranked player in the world in the Race to London. BabyFed reached the quarterfinals in Australia erasing some doubt that he couldn't win best-of-5 matches.
19. Slovenia- 23-year old Blaz Rola came up through qualifying to reach the second round of the Australian Open, earning a career-high ranking of 152. Along with Blaz Kavcic and Aljaz Bedene, those three carry Slovenia's ranking.
20. Ukraine- Considering the brutal start to the season for Alexander Dolgopolov, Ukraine in the top 20 seems surprising. However, there is no other team left that has three players with at least 70 ranking points so far in 2014. Sergiy Stakhovsky reached the semifinals in Sydney as a qualifier.
21. Finland
22. India
23. Brazil
24. Netherlands
25. Kazakhstan
26. Slovakia
27. South Africa
28. Uzbekistan
29. Poland
30. Romania
31. Israel
32. Bosnia & Herzegovina
33. Hungary
34. Latvia
35. Lithuania
36. Austria
37. Tunisia
38. Belarus
39. Portugal
40. Venezuela
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
It's Fognini's Fault
The most popular scapegoat has been Djokovic's new head coach, Boris Becker for his inexplicable standing during the match. Another popular one has been Jim Courier for asking Djokovic to do another impression. There have been plenty of other outrageous accusations for who is to blame for Novak's first loss at a slam to a player ranked lower than four since 2010. But let's identify the real culprit for who he is - Fabio Fognini.
Let's look at the evidence:
In 2011, Djokovic started the season riding a 43-match winning streak. Djokovic reached the Roland Garros quarterfinals where he was one win away from tying John McEnroe's record for best winning streak to start a season. The opponent awaiting him was none other than Fabio Fognini, who limped his way through an epic victory over Albert Montanes.
After stealing the quarterfinal spot away from Montanes, Fognini elected to not even use it and withdrew from the tournament. Because of the withdrawal, Djokovic went three days without playing any tennis on a television. After three days of collecting rust, Djokovic had his 43-match winning streak snapped by Switzerland's Roger Federer.
Overall, in the first five tournaments in which Djokovic and Fognini played each other, Djokovic didn't win a single title. That includes 2010 Belgrade, where after defeating Fognini in straight sets, Djokovic went on to lose to 319th ranked Filip Krajinovic in the following round. Coincidence? Doubtful.Fast forward 32 months to the 2014 Australian Open. Now, Djokovic has a 27-match winning streak as he meets Fognini in the fourth round. While Fognini didn't withdraw officially this time, he withdrew mentally. Fognini won a total of five games and 55 points over the course of three pathetic sets. All the while, Fognini's antics distracted the three-time defending champion and broke his focus. The match took away Djokovic's mental edge.
As a result, Djokovic tried to serve and volley on match point down. The cost: another loss to a Swiss man with a one-handed backhand after Fognini failed to properly prepare Djokovic for an important grand slam match.
Verdict:
Fabio Fognini traitorously sabotaged Djokovic by refusing to give him a proper warm-up before his crucial match against the Stanimal. As a result, Fognini is the scapegoat.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Return of the Big Four
At its peak in 2011, the Big Four of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer owned the ATP World Tour. In 2011, the four players combined to win all four slams, all nine 1000 events, the year-end Finals, along with eight other titles, and Nadal was part of the Davis Cup Champion team.
The four players didn't just win the events - they dominated them. Both finalists at all four slams were members of the Big Four. In fact, only three players ranked below four even reached the semifinals, and only four reached a final at a 1000 event. However, since Nadal lost to Lukas Rosol in the second round of Wimbledon in 2012, the members of the Big Four have not all been at their best at the same time.
After that loss, Nadal was out for seven months and didn't make his return until after the Australian Open. As soon as Nadal returned, Federer instantly began to struggle, starting with a loss in Rotterdam to Julien Benneteau. Federer's struggles continued all the way through to the US Open where he lost to Tommy Robredo.
After the US Open, Murray announced his season would end with back surgery, and Federer almost instantly began to improve. He reached the final in Basel, and semifinals of Bercy and the year-end Finals, beating Richard Gasquet and Juan Martin del Potro twice in the process.
Now, at the Australian Open, Murray is back from his injury, Nadal's knee issues seem to be a thing of the past, Djokovic is extrememly motivated, and Federer appears to be back to a high quality of tennis. So is the Big Four back?
From what we have seen at the Australian Open through one week, the answer would be a resounding yes! Not a single one of the four has so much as dropped set on their straight-forward paths to the second week. With Del Potro falling out of the tournament in the first round, it would be surprising if anyone outside the Big Four reaches a final, let alone win one.
However, there is still one major hurdle before I am ready to say that the Big Four is truly back, and that is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. During 2011, it wouldn't be surprising to see all four reach the semifinals. However, that's impossible in Melbourne this year since Murray and Federer are both in the same quarter. So the best the Big Four can do is make sure that none of them lose to anybody outside the Big Four. Although Djokovic will face Stanislas Wawrinka and potentially Tomas Berdych or David Ferrer, Tsonga appears to be the biggest threat in this tournament to disrupt the Big Four's dominance.
So what is unofficially on the line tonight when Federer goes toe-to-toe with Tsonga is Federer's spot in the Big Four. Can the Big Four all dominate the sport at once the way they did in 2011? Or are Tsonga, Berdych, Del Potro, Wawrinka, and Ferrer too good to be second tier players?
The four players didn't just win the events - they dominated them. Both finalists at all four slams were members of the Big Four. In fact, only three players ranked below four even reached the semifinals, and only four reached a final at a 1000 event. However, since Nadal lost to Lukas Rosol in the second round of Wimbledon in 2012, the members of the Big Four have not all been at their best at the same time.
After the US Open, Murray announced his season would end with back surgery, and Federer almost instantly began to improve. He reached the final in Basel, and semifinals of Bercy and the year-end Finals, beating Richard Gasquet and Juan Martin del Potro twice in the process.
Now, at the Australian Open, Murray is back from his injury, Nadal's knee issues seem to be a thing of the past, Djokovic is extrememly motivated, and Federer appears to be back to a high quality of tennis. So is the Big Four back?
From what we have seen at the Australian Open through one week, the answer would be a resounding yes! Not a single one of the four has so much as dropped set on their straight-forward paths to the second week. With Del Potro falling out of the tournament in the first round, it would be surprising if anyone outside the Big Four reaches a final, let alone win one.
However, there is still one major hurdle before I am ready to say that the Big Four is truly back, and that is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. During 2011, it wouldn't be surprising to see all four reach the semifinals. However, that's impossible in Melbourne this year since Murray and Federer are both in the same quarter. So the best the Big Four can do is make sure that none of them lose to anybody outside the Big Four. Although Djokovic will face Stanislas Wawrinka and potentially Tomas Berdych or David Ferrer, Tsonga appears to be the biggest threat in this tournament to disrupt the Big Four's dominance.
So what is unofficially on the line tonight when Federer goes toe-to-toe with Tsonga is Federer's spot in the Big Four. Can the Big Four all dominate the sport at once the way they did in 2011? Or are Tsonga, Berdych, Del Potro, Wawrinka, and Ferrer too good to be second tier players?
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