RE: CONTEST: Who will be the ATP 2014 Year End top 10 players?
DarthFed said:
I'd love it but this is a pipe dream. Even if Roger won 2 majors (which would be awesome) I still wouldn't predict him finishing #1 at this point due to what would figure to be much worse results than Nole and Rafa in the rest of the events. It'd be too much to ask for Roger to do great at both majors and the lesser events.
Mog said:
My top 10 players at the end of the year 2014.
1. Djokovic
2. Nadal
3. Federer
4. Delpo
5. Murray
6. Ferrer
7. Berdych
8. Stan Wawrinka
9. J Jerzy
10. Tsonga
I like Masterclass's ranking predictions and wish he comes out winner.
I think Federer's goal will be to be in the top 4. If Nadal is injury free throughout the year, he could finish at #1.
britbox said:
Big Call on Fed there MC. Naturally, I'd be delighted to see it happen but pretty shocked.
Fiero425 said:
Hmmmm, I didn't know there was this much dementia or delusional behavior around here! Fed #1?
I don't think so! Nadal may hold onto #2, but he has a lot of points to defend; places he may never go again! Nole back on top eventually! The rest is a crapshoot this early in the game!
Thanks for your responses, and thanks to kskate for the high road effort.
Look, as I said, I know Federer to be YE#1 would be shocking for most.
I expected that a large majority of the responses to my post from our forum population would vary from utter derision to respectful chuckles.
But since none of us has a working crystal ball (if you do, kindly send me a private message), one has to admit that this contest is pretty tough to predict with any precision. Nobody knows who will be playing in the events 6 months from now, what the draw will be, what the seedings will be, how healthy the players will be, etc. It's difficult enough to correctly predict who will do well in a specific event when most of these factors are known.
So for me, this contest is all fun and a way of generating continued forum interest and discussion throughout the year. I'm not afraid or ashamed to be wrong in this type of contest. We make our picks and let the ball bounce where it may.
I picked Federer based on a few things which I will detail later in my blog. One thing that I've learned through the years is confirmation of the old adage: "Form is temporary, class is permanent." The best players can roll back the years and do amazing things. Now, many say that Federer has already done this with his performance in 2011-2012, where he won 9 titles including Wimbledon and regained #1 for about 4 months. And maybe they are right. But even after his weakest season since 2001, I'm betting he has another big run left in him. Bold call? Perhaps. Demented or delusional? If he were someone who had never won a major in his life, never been a #1 player, you might have a fair argument. But we are talking about one of the greatest to play the game. I'll put it this way. I wouldn't bet my life, my house, or anything of significant value he couldn't do it.
Jimmy Connors hadn't won Wimbledon since 1974, or the US Open since 1978. But in 1982, he won both and returned to #1. Connors was named the YE #1 player that year by the ITF, L'Equipe, Tennis Magazine, and yes, even the ATP, contradicting their own rankings system, which had McEnroe and Lendl at #1 and #2.
Respectfully,
masterclass
