Title Leaders - 2014

[Moxie]

^ Yeah, Nadal's chance is over again for this year but I'd actually rate the chances pretty equal despite the fact that Novak needs one less masters than Rafa to wrap them all up.

Not just because Nadal is no fave of mines, I just see him "running" down by the fall and winter! I've talked about this before where Nadal's upsets tend to be in the summer and fall; hense most of his titles in the first 6 months of the season! He has no WTF titles to go along with a couple Masters missing off his resume! His opportunities are dwindling where I think Nole has a much better chance of taking his lone deficiency in Cinn. this year or the next!

I think we said the same thing and at same time. Since we don't always agree, I want to acknowledge. :hug

I can hope for different, but even I can be realistic.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Nole not winning Cincy is an anomaly. It is not the speed or anything. He made it to 4 finals. If it was the speed, he would not have made that many finals. He just has to put it together. I am positive he will.

 

[Moxie]

Nole not winning Cincy is an anomaly. It is not the speed or anything. He made it to 4 finals. If it was the speed, he would not have made that many finals. He just has to put it together. I am positive he will.

Agreed. To me, that's the same as Rafa not winning Miami. Hasn't happened, but it seems impossible that it never will.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

^If I understand Fiero's question, the only one with a chance to complete the set this season is Nole, because he only lacks Cincy, which is still to come. Rafa still hasn't won either Miami or Paris, and Miami has passed him by again this year. I take your point about Cincy being tough, because of the HC field. I would also add it being fast HC, and, most importantly, the timing. I'm sure he'll care more about his momentum and peaking for the USO. He's got his whole career to complete the box set of Masters. But if he finds himself striding through, I'm sure he won't turn it down.

EDIT: @GSM: Thanks for keeping the list up-dated.

Excuse me, someone has a chance (may be small) to complete the set this season by winning
both MC and Rome.

 

[Fiero425]

^If I understand Fiero's question, the only one with a chance to complete the set this season is Nole, because he only lacks Cincy, which is still to come. Rafa still hasn't won either Miami or Paris, and Miami has passed him by again this year. I take your point about Cincy being tough, because of the HC field. I would also add it being fast HC, and, most importantly, the timing. I'm sure he'll care more about his momentum and peaking for the USO. He's got his whole career to complete the box set of Masters. But if he finds himself striding through, I'm sure he won't turn it down.

EDIT: @GSM: Thanks for keeping the list up-dated.

Excuse me, someone has a chance (may be small) to complete the set this season by winning
both MC and Rome.

I didn't put it even in the realm of a possibility that Roger would ever pick up that "box set!" :nono :laydownlaughing

 

[Moxie]

^If I understand Fiero's question, the only one with a chance to complete the set this season is Nole, because he only lacks Cincy, which is still to come. Rafa still hasn't won either Miami or Paris, and Miami has passed him by again this year. I take your point about Cincy being tough, because of the HC field. I would also add it being fast HC, and, most importantly, the timing. I'm sure he'll care more about his momentum and peaking for the USO. He's got his whole career to complete the box set of Masters. But if he finds himself striding through, I'm sure he won't turn it down.

EDIT: @GSM: Thanks for keeping the list up-dated.

Excuse me, someone has a chance (may be small) to complete the set this season by winning
both MC and Rome.

Sorry, I missed that one. Maybe not lost on Fed, since he took a late entry to MC.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

OP updated to reflect MC. Stan now stands alone at the top in title leaders list.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

It is the second title for both the winners of this week. The OP is updated.

Also, I have modified the OP to include the tournament names for all the tournaments
and not just for the important tournaments. The GRAND SLAM EVENTS are
capitalized and bolded. The ATP 1000 events are bolded, but not capitalized.
The ATP 500 events are underlined. The ATP 250 events appear in ordinary form.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

OP updated to include the surprise winners of this week Carlos Berlocq and Martin Klizan.

 

[Moxie]

OP updated to include the surprise winners of this week Carlos Berlocq and Martin Klizan.

Thanks for keeping track of this, GSM. I like your coding for the tournaments, too. Klizan IS a surprise. I looked him up today and was surprised to see that his career high ranking is #26, and he spent about a year from 8/12 - 8/13 in the top 50…then sank back down again. Slightly mysterious.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

OP updated to reflect Rafa's win over Kei in Madrid. Now, Stan has company at the top. The two AO finalists head the list with 3 titles a piece.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

OP updated to reflect Novak conquering Rome. We now have three players with
three titles each at the top.

 

[TsarMatt]

Stan's funny. All I keep thinking of is how inconsistent he's been lately. And while that's true, the man has a Major + a Masters 1000 in his pocket. That's actually quite excellent considering how much the Big 4 have stamped their authority on the GS and Master 1000 events over the last 5-6 years.

Even if Stan stopped playing for the rest of the year, it's a remarkable season, especially when you look at the tennis landscape over the last decade.

 

[tented]

Stan's funny. All I keep thinking of is how inconsistent he's been lately. And while that's true, the man has a Major + a Masters 1000 in his pocket. That's actually quite excellent considering how much the Big 4 have stamped their authority on the GS and Master 1000 events over the last 5-6 years.

Even if Stan stopped playing for the rest of the year, it's a remarkable season, especially when you look at the tennis landscape over the last decade.

It's reminding me of Novak's 2008:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Players/Top-Players/Novak-Djokovic.aspx?t=pa&y=2008&m=s&e=0#

He won the AO (also his first GS), and a clay-court Masters 1000 (Novak won Rome), but had mixed results elsewhere. The biggest difference is Djokovic won IW, so he had two Masters by this point, but he lost in the second round in Marseille (a 250), the semis in Dubai, the second round in Miami, and the semis in MC, before going to Rome.

Novak ended the year winning the WTF -- the only other tournament he won in '08. Quite a way to bookend a year.

 

[TsarMatt]

Stan's funny. All I keep thinking of is how inconsistent he's been lately. And while that's true, the man has a Major + a Masters 1000 in his pocket. That's actually quite excellent considering how much the Big 4 have stamped their authority on the GS and Master 1000 events over the last 5-6 years.

Even if Stan stopped playing for the rest of the year, it's a remarkable season, especially when you look at the tennis landscape over the last decade.

It's reminding me of Novak's 2008:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Players/Top-Players/Novak-Djokovic.aspx?t=pa&y=2008&m=s&e=0#

He won the AO (also his first GS), and a clay-court Masters 1000 (Novak won Rome), but had mixed results elsewhere. The biggest difference is Djokovic won IW, so he had two Masters by this point, but he lost in the second round in Marseille (a 250), the semis in Dubai, the second round in Miami, and the semis in MC, before going to Rome.

Novak ended the year winning the WTF -- the only other tournament he won in '08. Quite a way to bookend a year.

Nice comparison! It really is like Nole 08' in many respects. Let's just hope it doesn't take Stan another 3 years to win his next GS...

 

[TennisFanatic7]

Can't help but feel one of the three guys at the top of the list will take the lead after Roland Garros. Hopefully Murray can get on the board by at least winning Queen's this summer.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Congratulations to Gulbis for picking up his second title of the year and first ever clay title.

Congratulations to Kohlschreiber for coming out of a seeming slump and picking up
a title (watch out Andy, he gets to play you in 3rd round if Gouleb does not already
dispatch you).

The OP is now updated.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Interesting Fact:

There were Post-Miami Clay Tournaments as a warm-up for RG. Each one of them
is won by a different player.

If you include the four South American Clay Tournaments of February also, there
were a total of 15 Clay Tournaments so far this year. Rafa won two of them (Rio and
Madrid). Each one of the other 13 clay tournaments were won by a different player.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

OP updated to reflect the territory protected by RN. Rafa stands alone at the top now
with four titles and interestingly they are one of each type (250, 500, 1000 and 2000).

 

[Kieran]

Welcome back, GSM, nice to see you!