Top clay courters at the moment

[Denis]

So I was thinking about who the top clay courters are at the moment (with top clay courters I mean the best players on clay, not whether they are a specialist or not).

I would rank the top 10 to be something like this:

1 Nadal, Rafael (ESP)
2 Djokovic, Novak (SRB)
3 Federer, Roger (SUI)
4 Del Potro
5 Ferrer, David (ESP)
6 Murray, Andy (GBR)
7 Almagro
8 Wawrinka
9 Tsonga
10 Berdych
11 Juan Monaco
12 John Isner (he does surprisingly well on clay)

 

[brokenshoelace]

Ferrer over Del Potro IMO. Del Potro is more likely to beat one of the top guys (I don't see Ferrer having much of a chance against Nadal, Novak or Federer on clay), but there can be no doubt that he's had better and more consistent results on the surface.

 

[Iona16]

I woudn't put Del Potro above Murray but that's just me.

This would be my top 4.

1. Nadal, Rafael
2. Djokovic, Novak
3. Federer, Roger
4. Ferrer, David

 

[Moxie]

I woudn't put Del Potro above Murray but that's just me.

This would be my top 4.

1. Nadal, Rafael
2. Djokovic, Novak
3. Federer, Roger
4. Ferrer, David

I agree with you and Broken about bumping Ferrer up. And I'd put Murray and DelPotro at a tie for 5th. Both are good for their games, and both have been inconsistent, at times. Isner has had good results on clay. Is Berdych just there because he's always dangerous? I don't see anyone I'd put above him, though.

 

[kskate2]

So I was thinking about who the top clay courters are at the moment (with top clay courters I mean the best players on clay, not whether they are a specialist or not).

I would rank the top 10 to be something like this:

1 Nadal, Rafael (ESP)
2 Djokovic, Novak (SRB)
3 Federer, Roger (SUI)
4 Del Potro
5 Ferrer, David (ESP)
6 Murray, Andy (GBR)
7 Almagro
8 Wawrinka
9 Tsonga
10 Berdych
11 Juan Monaco
12 John Isner (he does surprisingly well on clay)

My List
2 Fed
3 Nole
4 Ferrer
5 Murray
6 JMDP
7 Almagro
8 Tsonga
9 Berdych
10 Monaco
11 Wawrinka
12 Someone other than Isner (Verdasco, Monfils, Robredo or Gasquet)

 

[Riotbeard]

Murray has more capability to beat top guys, but lets be honest he has never even been to a clay court final (Correct if I am wrong), I don't see why he should be ranked above Delpo, or really any of the other players on the list who have (and/or regularly) win clay court tournaments. Murray has only been to the F.O. semis once.

Not trying to dog the guy in general but to rank him in the top 5 on clay is unrealistic until he wins a tournament on the surface.

 

[tented]

I woudn't put Del Potro above Murray but that's just me.

This would be my top 4.

1. Nadal, Rafael
2. Djokovic, Novak
3. Federer, Roger
4. Ferrer, David

I agree with these four. Beyond that, it's less clear-cut.

Murray, for example, I find to be somewhat unpredictable on clay. One year he'll go out in the first round in Rome or MC, and the next he'll be in the semi-final.

I am anxious to see how he does throughout this entire clay-court season. Do you think he'll finally get to a final this year? Or win one?

 

[Denis]

@kskate2: Curious what Monfils will do. He could be up there.

What's up with Nalbandian? Any news on wildcards he may receive? Or is he playing challengers?

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

1-Nadal
2-Nadal
3-Roger
4-Nadal
5-Nole
6-Rafa
7-David
8-Delpo

 

[Kieran]

1-Nadal
2-Nadal
3-Roger
4-Nadal
5-Nole
6-Rafa
7-David
8-Delpo

You're being way too kind! How did Roger make #3 on your list?

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

1-Nadal
2-Nadal
3-Roger
4-Nadal
5-Nole
6-Rafa
7-David
8-Delpo

You're being way too kind! How did Roger make #3 on your list?

Well, he was not worthy of the second spot, so I gave him third man...

 

[kskate2]

@kskate2: Curious what Monfils will do. He could be up there.

What's up with Nalbandian? Any news on wildcards he may receive? Or is he playing challengers?

Monfils defense is beastly on clay. It'll be interesting if he's completely back from his hiatus. I don't have any details on Nalby. We should check w/ Cali on his wildcard chances.

 

[brokenshoelace]

What's up with Nalbandian?

His weight.

Sorry, couldn't resist the lame joke.

 

[calitennis127]

@kskate2: Curious what Monfils will do. He could be up there.

What's up with Nalbandian? Any news on wildcards he may receive? Or is he playing challengers?

I wish the news was that benign. I have read that he is actually keeping quiet about his other, non-surgically-repaired hip because he doesn't want to miss the Davis Cup semifinal tie. There have been scattered reports in the Argentine press that he will need surgery on it and that this will be the end. The only reason he hasn't announced it is that he doesn't want a distraction for the team before semifinal tie. Many were saying that Nalbandian was going to officially retire if Argentina lost to France.

But this would help explain why he skipped the Australian Open, why he squandered the lead against Nieminen in Miami (6-2, 3-0), etc.

His game is fine and he is still better than everyone. Unfortunately, his body - as it has since age 27 - is letting him down in terms of durability. He just gets injured constantly anymore.

I hope this isn't the case, but I'm afraid that the Nieminen match in Miami may end up being the last time Nalbandian played at an official ATP tournament. In a negative and cynical sense, it would have been a symbolically fitting way for his career to end as well - up 6-2, 3-0 and the lead squandered. However, there are better, more positive ways to represent his career and I hope that it can end in one of those ways. His game is still good enough to be Top 5 for the next 4 years (I'm being modest to appease everyone here); his body just won't seem to allow it right now.

 

[Kieran]

1-Nadal
2-Nadal
3-Roger
4-Nadal
5-Nole
6-Rafa
7-David
8-Delpo

You're being way too kind! How did Roger make #3 on your list?

Well, he was not worthy of the second spot, so I gave him third man...

If you have Nadal at #4, then he wasn't worthy of coming in third...

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

1-Nadal
2-Nadal
3-Roger
4-Nadal
5-Nole
6-Rafa
7-David
8-Delpo

You're being way too kind! How did Roger make #3 on your list?

Well, he was not worthy of the second spot, so I gave him third man...

If you have Nadal at #4, then he wasn't worthy of coming in third...

Yeah but Rafa is at 6 as well...there is degrees of rafa , you know...Roger is not as good as top 2 rafa, but better than the 4th and the 6th rafa...I know, complicated but still...:angel:

 

[Moxie]

1-Nadal
2-Nadal
3-Roger
4-Nadal
5-Nole
6-Rafa
7-David
8-Delpo

You're being way too kind! How did Roger make #3 on your list?

Well, he was not worthy of the second spot, so I gave him third man...

If you have Nadal at #4, then he wasn't worthy of coming in third...

Yeah but Rafa is at 6 as well...there is degrees of rafa , you know...Roger is not as good as top 2 rafa, but better than the 4th and the 6th rafa...I know, complicated but still...:angel:

I'd say #1-4 are Rafa. #4 Rafa still beats everybody. That guy played a good bit of 2011 RG, and he still won it. LOL!

 

[jhar26]

-1 Nadal
-2 Djokovic
-3 Federer
-4 Ferrer
-5 delPotro

Djokovic and Federer are as close as it gets for me. The main reason why I give Novak the nod here is based more on how I expect them to do this year than on past performance. I think Roger is making a big mistake by playing so few tournaments this year, but we'll see. I could be wrong, it's just a gut feeling.

 

[ftan]

-1 Nadal
-2 Djokovic
-3 Federer
-4 Ferrer
-5 delPotro

Djokovic and Federer are as close as it gets for me. The main reason why I give Novak the nod here is based more on how I expect them to do this year than on past performance. I think Roger is making a big mistake by playing so few tournaments this year, but we'll see. I could be wrong, it's just a gut feeling.

Well what do we know about scheduling, but I feel Roger is going to tak slow this year and then gather up next year

 

[Johnsteinbeck]

1-Nadal
2-Nadal
3-Roger
4-Nadal
5-Nole
6-Rafa
7-David
8-Delpo

You're being way too kind! How did Roger make #3 on your list?

Well, he was not worthy of the second spot, so I gave him third man...

he's #3 on the basis of taking the famed blue clay, one and only true future of the sport, into consideration, of course.