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Tennis Power Ranking 2013: Post Monte Carlo

22 Apr

Dan Martin’s 2013 Power Ranking #6

1.  Novak Djokovic – Nole ends a nearly 9 year winning streak by Nadal in Monte Carlo and in straight sets no less.  He’s #1.

2.  Rafael Nadal - Rafa has played 5 events in 2013.  His results: 3 titles and 2 runner-up finishes.

Did someone really knock over his water bottles?

3.  Andy Murray – A top tier player will drop anytime he wins only 3 games in a match.  Change since last ranking -1

4.  Tomas Berdych 

5.  Roger Federer - Roger has points to defend in Madrid.  

6.  David Ferrer - Barcelona, Madrid and Rome will tell us a lot about Ferrer.

7.  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – He played Nadal tough on his least preferred surface. Change since last ranking +2

8.  Juan Martin del Potro – Delpo needs to make a splash at one of the slams before the end of 2013.  Change since last ranking -1

9.  Richard Gasquet – He is quietly putting together his best start to any season.  Change since last ranking -1

10.  Tommy Haas (Tie) -  The old man of the tour reached the semifinal round in Miami by pulling a huge upset or two.  

10.  Grigor Dimitrov (Tie) – Could we finally be seeing a younger player make a move? Change since last ranking – Not ranked

Biggest Mover – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga gained two spots.

Dropped Out – N/A

Entered the Rankings – Grigor Dimitrov

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Tennis Power Ranking 2013: Post-Miami and Davis Cup

9 Apr

Dan Martin’s 2013 Power Ranking #5

1.  Novak Djokovic – Nole is number one, but he needs to rest his ankle if he is going to make an assault on Roland Garros.

2.  Rafael Nadal (Tie) - 3 consecutive tournament titles, including his first hard court title in over 2 years, have Rafa geared up for another European clay court season.

2.  Andy Murray (Tie) – Winning Miami along with his early results in Brisbane and Melbourne have Murray tied for #2 with Nadal.  Change since last ranking +1

4.  Tomas Berdych - He played well enough in Miami to stay at #4.

5.  Roger Federer – We’ll know more about where Federer’s game and health are when the clay court season ends.  

6.  David Ferrer – His runner-up showing in Miami leads to a gain in my not yet binding Power Ranking.  Change since last ranking +1

7.  Juan Martin del Potro - An early loss in Miami only costs the Big Man one spot.  Change since last ranking -1

8.  Richard Gasquet – He is quietly putting together his best start to any season.  Change since last ranking +1

9.  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – We’ll know more after Wimbledon.  Change since last ranking -1

10.  Tommy Haas -  The old man of the tour reached the semifinal round in Miami by pulling a huge upset or two.  Change since last ranking – unranked

Biggest Movers – Andy Murray, David Ferrer and Richard Gasquet all gained one spot while Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin del Potro both dropped one spot.

Dropped Out – Milos Raonic (despite some nice Davis Cup play) 

Entered the Rankings – Tommy Haas

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Tennis Power Ranking 2013: Indian Wells

17 Mar

Dan Martin’s 2013 Power Ranking #4

1.  Novak Djokovic – Nole is number one, but he can hear footsteps behind him right now.

2.  Rafael Nadal - 3 consecutive tournament titles, including his first hard court title in over 2 years, have Rafa rising.  Change since last Ranking +1

3.  Andy Murray - This Indian Wells was better than his 2012 and 2011 outings.  Murray needs to push back against the idea of Nole and Rafa reprising their 2011 two man show.  Miami would be a good place for Murray to reassert himself since he trains there and since the pending clay court season is unlikely to help Murray.  Change since last ranking – 1

4.  Tomas Berdych - The Big Czech came up short versus Nadal, but his Indian Wells and Dubai showings have me thinking he is close to the top players.  He may not be able to bridge that gap, but he is trying to bridge it.  Change since last ranking + 2

5.  Roger Federer – Roger is my favorite player of all time.  He is 7 years past his prime of 2006 and is still ranked #2.  My eyes are not lying that 2013 has not been his best outing.  Skipping Miami and Monte Carlo makes me think Roger is saving his reserves for the biggest prizes in tennis.  Maybe the break will help as he has not seemed like himself in 2013.  Change since last ranking – 1

6.  Juan Martin del Potro - Had he won Indian Wells, JMDP would be #4 and Berdych #5.  Beating Murray and Djokovic back-to-back is a huge confidence builder.  Change since last ranking +3 

7.  David Ferrer – He has a Grand Slam semifinal and a 250 point title to his name in 2013.  Still, it seems like JMDP and Berdych have passed him.  Change since last ranking – 2

8.  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – Holding steady

9.  Richard Gasquet – With two titles under his belt in 2013, Gasquet is poised for a strong year.  Still, he lacks the heft of Berdych or the consistency of Ferrer.  Change since last ranking -2

10.  Milos Raonic - Milos beat then #10 Marin Cilic so he takes his spot.  Change since last ranking – unranked

Biggest Mover – Juan Martin del Potro +3

Dropped Out – Marin Cilic

Entered the Rankings – Milos Raonic

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Tennis 2013 Power Ranking: Dubai and Acapulco

3 Mar

Dan Martin’s 2013 Power Ranking #3

1.  Novak Djokovic – Nole is number one, and his strong showing in Dubai only underscores that point.

2.  Andy Murray - 2013 has brought Andy a Grand Slam runner-up finish and a 250 point title.  Still, it will be nice to see him in action again.

3.  Rafael Nadal - Rafa’s back-to-back titles coupled with Federer’s thus far shaky 2013 have him moving up the power ranking.   Change since last ranking +2

4.  Roger Federer – Roger does not seem like himself to this point in 2013.  Change since last ranking – 1

5.  David Ferrer – His loss to Rafa at Acapulco was like a continuation of his 2012 Roland Garros beating.  On the bright side, Ferrer reached two consecutive finals and won his first title of the year.  Change since last ranking – 1

6.  Tomas Berdych - A runner-up finish in Dubai has the Czech moving toward the top 5.  Change since last ranking +2

7.  Richard Gasquet – With two titles under his belt in 2013, Gasquet is poised for a strong year.  Still, he lacks the heft of Berdych or the consistency of Ferrer.  Change since last ranking -1 

8.  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – Holding steady

9.  Juan Martin del Potro – He won Rotterdam and reached the semis at Dubai.  Nole seems to be his nemesis. Change since last ranking – unranked  

10.  Marin Cilic - He has had a nice 2013.  Change since last ranking – unranked

Biggest Movers – Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych +2

Dropped Out – Jeremy Chardy and Horacio Zeballos

Entered the Rankings – Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic 

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Tennis Power Rankings 2013: Chile and Beyond

11 Feb

Dan Martin’s 2013 Power Ranking #2 

1.  Novak Djokovic – Nole is still in control.

2.  Andy Murray - He’s posted a 19-2 match record at the 3 most recent Grand Slam events.

3.  Roger Federer – Will Rotterdam move Federer into a tie for career titles with John McEnroe?

4.  David Ferrer – Horacio Zeballos preserved Ferrer’s #4 ranking.

5.  Rafael Nadal – A runner-up finish in his first event back on tour has Nadal in a holding pattern.  He did not look rusty, but he lost for only the 5th time in a clay court final.

6.  Richard Gasquet – With two titles under his belt in 2013, Gasquet is poised for a strong year.  Change since last ranking +2

7.  Tomas Berdych – He did nothing wrong, but the big man had to make room for Gasquet.  Change since last ranking – 1

8.  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – See #7.  Change since last ranking – 1 

9.  Horacio Zeballos - Anyone who beats Nadal in a clay court final gets some love.  Change since last ranking – Unranked

10.  Jeremy Chardy – His quarterfinal showing in Melbourne and semifinal in Chile land him in the top 10, but I would not bank on Chardy or Zeballos staying in my top 10 for long.  Marin Cilic could easily occupy the 9 0r 10 slot for this ranking.

Biggest Mover – Richard Gasquet +2

Dropped Out – Juan Martin del Potro

Entered the Rankings – Horacio Zeballos 

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First Power Ranking of 2013

29 Jan

Dan Martin’s 2013 Power Ranking #1 

Post Australian Open Ranking

1.  Novak Djokovic – Nole won the Australian Open in convincing style to pick up where he left off in my rankings.

2.  Andy Murray – He is playing quite well, just not quite well enough to have won the first major of the year.  Change since last ranking +1

3.  Roger Federer – The semifinal round down under has been a tough one for Roger.  He’s lost in that spot to Marat Safin in 2005, to Djokovic in 2008 and 2011, to Nadal in 2012 and to Andy Murray in 2013.  Change since last ranking – 1

4.  David Ferrer – He’s doing all of the right things, but Ferrer was outclassed in the Australian Open semifinal.

5.  Rafael Nadal – The biggest x-factor for the 2013 season.  He could be pushing Djokovic for tour supremacy or he could be slow to work his way back into form.

6.  Tomas Berdych – The big man might have had a chance after Nole went 5 sets with Wawrinka, but a 4 set loss was his reward.

7.  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – A 5 set quarterfinal loss leaves Tsonga looking to move up in 2013.  Change since last ranking – Unranked

8.  Richard Gasquet – He won a tune-up for the Australian Open and reached the round of 16 down under.  Change since last ranking +1

9.  Juan Martin del Potro – Not a great start to 2013 for JMDP.  Change since last ranking -2

10.  Jeremy Chardy – His quarterfinal showing in Melbourne helps him to break into the top 10.  Change since last ranking – Unranked

Biggest Mover – Juan Martin del Potro -2 

Dropped Out – Marin Cilic and Radek Stepanek

Entered the Rankings – Jeremy Chardy and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

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Final Power Ranking of 2012 – Novak is the One

18 Nov

Dan Martin’s 2012 Power Ranking

Year End Ranking

Video Clips for A Player’s Biggest Moment of 2012 Provided

  1. Novak Djokovic – Nole won the Australian Open, the World Tour Finals, 3 Masters 1000 events and another title.  Throw in 2 Grand Slam runner-up finishes and 3 Masters 1000 finishes and Novak is the clear number one for 2012.  Had Rafa remained healthy who knows, but injuries are part of sports and Nole put together the best year.  
  2. Roger Federer – Like Djokovic, Federer won a Grand Slam title and 3 Masters 1000 events.  He also collected titles in Dubai and Rotterdam.  Throw in runner-up finishes at the Olympic Games, Halle, Basel and the World Tour finals and the over 30 Federer went 6-4 in tournament finals.  He’s now older than Pete Sampras was when he hung up his racquets in 2002 after ending a 26 month title drought with a US Open title win.  Federer looks to keep adding hardware in the nest 2 years.  His win over Andy Murray at the World Tour Finals helped Roger leap frog Murray to number 2 in my non-binding rankings (not yet at least).  Change since last ranking +1
  3. Andy Murray – Murray’s US Open win and Gold Medal change the landscape of tennis, but his 0-9 finish in the Masters 1000 events will have to change if he wishes to reach #1 in 2013.  Murray was 0-2 vs. Nole and Roger in the World Tour Finals.  I expect Andy to do well in 2013.  Change since last ranking -1 
  4. David Ferrer – The “other” Spaniard led the tour with 7 titles.  Ferrer went 2-1 in round robin play at the World Tour Finals and went 2-0 in singles on the road against the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup Final.  Neither result could lift Ferrer out of circumstances he could not control.  Still, beating Tipsy, JMDP, Berdych and Stepanek on fast surfaces demonstrates how strong Ferrer is as a player. 
  5. Rafael Nadal – Rafa’s injury has left him on the shelf since the end of June.  His first 1/2 of 2012 was the best of any player.  The Australian Open will be interesting.  I think and hope Rafa returns to Big 4 status pretty quickly.  Still, this is a long time to be off of the tour for anyone.   
  6. Tomas Berdych - The big man went 1-1 in singles play and won a point in doubles to help the Czech Republic claim the Davis Cup title.  Change since last ranking +1 
  7. Juan Martin del Potro – JMDP recently won his 14th and 15th career singles titles.  The big man won a Bronze medal and reached 3 Grand Slam quarterfinal rounds in 2012.  Beating Roger Federer in Basel and the World Tour Finals says a lot about where JMDP is at heading into 2013.  Change from last ranking -1 
  8. Marin Cilic – The Croatian has slowly returned to his 2009 and early 2010 form.  *
  9. Richard Gasquet – His recent play earns the enigmatic star a slot in my top 10.  *
  10. Radek Stepanek - Winning a doubles point and the final singles point in a deadlocked Davis Cup final puts Stepanek in the the top 10 for the end of the year. Change from last ranking – not ranked 

Biggest Movers – Roger Federer +1, Tomas Berdych +1, Andy Murray -1, Juan Martin del Potro -1

Entered the Rankings – Radek Stepanek 

Dropped Out – Jerzy Janowicz – This is still a tremendous story considering what the prize money and ranking points will mean for his career going forward.

* – Sorry to Cilic and Gasquet but neither brought home a Slam, a World Tour Final title, a 1000 series event, an Olympic medal or a Davis Cup title so they get no video clip love.

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Post Paris Power Ranking: David Ferrer’s Leap Forward

5 Nov

Dan Martin’s 2012 Power Ranking

Post Paris Edition

  1. Novak Djokovic – Nole posted the best Grand Slam and Masters 1000 records for 2012.  He must feel like he let a slam get away in 2012, but he’s #1 for the year. 
  2. Andy Murray – Murray’s US Open win and Gold Medal change the landscape of tennis, but his 0-9 finish in the Masters 1000 events will have to change if he wishes to reach #1 in 2013.
  3. Roger Federer – The Fed entered the 2003 Masters Cup with 6 titles and a ponytail.  He enters the 2012 World Tour Finals with 6 titles and 2 pre-schoolers.  Changes and constants   
  4. David Ferrer – The “other” Spaniard leads the tour with 7 titles.  Ferrer has a title on all four surfaces in 2012.  Ferrer just won his first Masters 1000 event.  Does he deserve to pass Rafa?  Maybe not, but winning titles on every surface, winning 18 Grand Slam matches, and leading the tour in titles makes Ferrer a top flight player in 2012.   Change from last ranking +1
  5. Rafael Nadal – Rafa’s injury has left him on the shelf since the end of June.  His first 1/2 of 2012 was the best of any player.  Change from last ranking -1  
  6. Juan Martin del Potro – JMDP recently won his 14th and 15th career singles titles.  The big man won a Bronze medal and reached 3 Grand Slam quarterfinal rounds in 2012.  Beating Roger Federer in Basel says a lot about where JMDP is at.  Change from last ranking +3
  7. Tomas Berdych - His US Open showing props up some of his poor results in 2012.  Change from last ranking – 1
  8. Marin Cilic – The Croatian has slowly returned to his 2009 and early 2010 form.  Change from last ranking +1
  9. Richard Gasquet – His recent play earns the enigmatic star a slot in my top 10.  Change from last ranking – 1
  10. Jerzy Janowicz - He probably does not deserve this spot, but just think that this qualifier just banked 600 ranking points that will not come off until next November.  This is a huge relief for a guy scrapping by on tour.  Change from last ranking – not ranked

Biggest Movers – Juan Martin del Potro +3

Entered the Rankings – Jerzy Janowicz

Dropped Out – Tommy Haas

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Power Ranking – Djokovic Wins Shanghai

15 Oct

Dan Martin’s 2012 Power Ranking

Post Shanghai Edition

  1. Novak Djokovic – While Novak Djokovic did not back up a 3 slam year in the manner that Federer did in 05 or 07, it is becoming clear that Nole has had the best 2012 on the ATP Tour.  Change from last ranking +1 
  2. Andy Murray – Murray is poised to challenge for the #1 ranking at some point in 2013, but his lack of a Masters 1000 title in 2012 prevents any sort of charge for 2012. Change from last ranking – 1
  3. Roger Federer – If Murray and Djokovic attack his serve with their sublime return games, Roger will have a new obstacle to climb at 31.  I am not sure how he will counter that, but reaching 300 total weeks at #1 is a tremendous accomplishment.
  4. Rafael Nadal – By holding 1 slam, 1 slam runner-up, 2 Masters 1000 shields and a title in Barcelona, Rafa has locked down the #4 slot for 2012 despite not playing since Wimbledon.
  5. David Ferrer – Not playing Shanghai did not hurt Ferrer’s standing.  Consider that Ferrer posted a 18-4 record during the 2012 Grand Slam season.
  6. Tomas Berdych – The big Czech looked like a Grand Slam force in 2010.  His play in New York and Shanghai reminds us that this is still possible.  His lousy grass court season is in the past.  
  7. Marin Cilic – The Croatian has slowly returned to his 2009 and early 2010 form.  Change from last ranking +1
  8. Richard Gasquet – His recent play earns the enigmatic star a slot in my top 10.  Change from last ranking – not ranked
  9. Juan Martin del Potro – Delpo reached his 3rd Grand Slam quarterfinal of the year, but his ability to beat top players is coming into question.  His wrist and knees are perhaps putting his game into a plateau. 
  10. Tommy Haas – In a sentimental pick, I give Haas credit for his return to the top 20 in the ATP rankings. Haas is the best 34 year old tennis player in the world.  Change from last ranking – not ranked 

Biggest Movers – Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic +1, Andy Murray -1

Entered the Rankings – Tommy Haas and Richard Gasquet

Dropped Out – Janko Tipsarevic and Nicolas Almagro

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Post US Open Power Ranking – The Rise of Andy Murray

11 Sep

Dan Martin’s 2012 Power Ranking

Post US Open Edition

  1. Andy Murray – He has won the most recent Grand Slam event as well as a Gold Medal in singles.  Murray is riding high.  I am not sure where this will lead, but two things are fact.  First, Murray is no longer the best player to never win a Grand Slam title.  Second, Ivan Lendl has made a huge impact on Murray’s mental game.  Change from last ranking +2 
  2. Novak Djokovic - Nole played well enough in the 3rd and 4th sets to know that his A game is still the best in the world.  Still, 2012 is a drop off from the consistent excellence he demonstrated in 2011.  Nole is probably the best player in the world, but at the last 4 big events he lost to Nadal, Federer, and Murray (twice).  Nole has to reassert his focus and his confidence on his rivals if he is to become a dominant number one again.
  3. Roger Federer – Is the Roger Federer who won Wimbledon and Cincinnati recently the Roger we will see going forward?  Is the Roger Federer who struggled against Novak in Paris, against Murray in the Olympic games and lost to Berdych in New York the Roger we will see going forward?  We will see both in the next 2-3 years.  Roger can still play at a high level, but at 31 he needs more ideal circumstances and a few breaks to see that level as frequently as we once did.  Change since last ranking – 2
  4. Rafael Nadal – Rafa won the French Open, 3 other clay court events and lost an epic Australian Open final.  Until those points start to fall off, he is pretty well encamped in my top 4.  Nadal’s recovery is a huge story.  If the gang of 4 remains in tact, tennis is in a state of stability. However, if Rafa declines or is absent, a lot more opportunities for reaching Grand Slam final weekends exist.
  5. David Ferrer – His win vs. Tipsarevic alone speaks well of Ferrer.  The other Spaniard finally reached the final four at the French Open and got destroyed by Nadal.  Ferrer responded by winning a grass court event, pushing Murray hard in the Wimbledon quarterfinal round, and reaching his second US Open semifinal.  Change since last ranking +2 
  6. Tomas Berdych – The big Czech looked like a Grand Slam force in 2010.  His play in New York reminds us that this is still possible.  His lousy grass court season is in the past.  Change from last ranking +4
  7. Janko Tipsarevic – Tipsy is not helping his q rating or any good guy status he may have had after ugly twitter wars.  Still, Janko has played well in 2012 and also displayed an excellent level of fight at the US Open.  Change from last ranking – Not Ranked 
  8. Marin Cilic – The Croatian has slowly returned to his 2009 and early 2010 form.  Change from last ranking – Not Ranked  
  9. Juan Martin del Potro – Delpo reached his 3rd Grand Slam quarterfinal of the year, but his ability to beat top players is coming into question.  His wrist and knees are perhaps putting his game into a plateau.   Change from last week – 4
  10. Nicolas Almagro - Nico had a reasonably good showing in New York.

Biggest Movers – Tomas Berdych +4 and Juan Martin del Potro – 4

Newcomers – Marin Cilic and Janko Tipsarevic

Dropped Out – John Isner, Richard Gasquet, and Juan Monaco.

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