There are two rankings: the Entry Rankings and the Yearly Race.

The Entry Rankings are the ones that determine seedings at events, entry into tournaments, who can play qualifying and who is eligible for the Tennis Masters Cup.

Basically, the only thing the Yearly Race does is determine who ends the year at number 1.

Here's a hypothetical example: Nadal ends the year at #1 in the 2005 race and #3 in the Entry Rankings. Federer ends the year at #2 in the 2005 race and #1 in the Entry Rankings. Nadal is considered the #1 player for 2005 but Federer is still given the #1 seed and Nadal the #3 seed at the Aussie Open.

Why does the ATP do this? Here's the explanation from their website:



Most people (and the ATP) consider the Entry Rankings as THE ranking. However, you will often find a sports article where the writer refers to the yearly race position of a player rather than the Entry Ranking.

Clear as mud?

You can read more about it at the ATP site. At the bottom of the page they have some explanations.


No. And most people would prefer they go back to one set of rankings for the men.

Actually, the WTA does do it, sort of. They just use a player's computer ranking points from the start of the calendar year as the number. A players 17 best results are considered to make up the standings.

Was this the infamous Agassi-Grosjean match? I thought it was at the French? Does Clinton go to every slam to wreak havoc?

I really agree and her skin looked better than it has in a while. I think of either sister Serena has the sexier bod, but Venus has this classic, regal look about her that would look great on a runway. I love that the U.S. Open Real World commercial had her as the Goddess, it fits her. Am I bordering on stalkerish if I'm still psyched about her win?

Yeah- I have always thought that Oracene rocks. She has always been pretty darn classy. That’s one of the same reason why I also love Toni Nadal, Rafael's coach and uncle. He always applauds the opponents good winners and during the FO semis and I think final he even sometimes stood to applaud Federer's and Puerta's winners.

Boy- I am already going through tennis withdrawel. (It’s always that way after a GS). At least my Tivo queue is no longer clogged.

But hey- looks like there is new “No Strings” this month on the Tennis Channel with Juan Carlos Ferrero (rawr!) and they will be repeating a showing of the one with Feliciano Lopez (rawr ! again)- which I haven’t yet seen.

Also very happy to see that TTC will be showing the Argentina/Australia and France/Russia Davis Cup matches. Really looking forward to the A/A matches. Like Jon W., I was impressed by Coria’s volleying skills at Wimbledon so will be curious to see how he fares on a grass court in Australia. I really love how TTC shows a lot of the Davis and Fed cup matches.

I particularly noticed the warm smile she had on her face last year as she fondly watched Sharapova climb to the box to hug her father after beating Serena(!). What a lovely lady.

It's funny, apropos the perception one or more of you had that Federer wasn't bright, Newsweek online is running an interview with Boris Becker that contains this comment:

Becker Interview

Sigh. I guess I now go into jealousy mode again. Why, oh why Cablevision?!?

I saw James Lipton interviewing Federer on the Tennis Channel Sunday night I think--it had been taped earlier this year in Miami, I think, and it was very odd indeed. At the end of the interview, both Lipton and Federer praised their Le Croix watches--Federer endorses them and they have a Roger Federer signature watch--but that was only slightly less surreal than Lipton asking Federer that questionnaire he always ends interviews with on Inside the Actor's Studio. What sound does Roger most love? Applause. What sound does he most hate? Booing. What’s his favorite curse word? He hems and haws before he answers “shit.” Lipton volunteers that it’s a popular answer and he could have said “merde” if he was more comfortable with that. Blah blah blah.

It was the worst possible forum for Federer, whom I normally enjoy in interviews.

Re: Oracine. I will never forgive her for that bleached afro she sported a couple years ago. I’ve always thought that was the reason she and Richard divorced.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but, at the end of the year, the rankings should be very similar if not identical. To oversimplify, the entry rankings are taken from the results of the last 12 months while the race rankings are taken from January 1.


Hee!

I guess I'm alone, but I really liked Venus's huge earrings. I miss them. Playing with huge weights dangling from her ears made her seem like a superhero.

With the entry rankings, you lose all your points from 12 months previous. Roger lost all his 2004 Wimbledon points when this year's tournament began. In order to end the tournament with the same number of points that he had going in he needed to win the tournament. Obviously, Roger did it--but that doesn't happen very often.

With the ATP race, you start each calendar year with zero points and gain them as you win tournaments. There are no lost points from the previous year so how you do during that calendar year is how you will rank.

Believe it or not, I'm okay with this system. I think it is important that the entry rankings are used for seedings and for the "real" judgment of who is #1 in the world but it is fun to have the ATP race where the hot players for the year get to have the year-end tournament.

I don't think you're understanding me. What I'm saying is that your last 12 months results (the entry rankings) are the same as your calendar year results (champions race) at the end of the year. That would make it highly improbable (if not outright impossible) for someone to be ranked #1 in only one in December.

The main problem I have with the champions race is that clay-court players are overrated for much of the year because clay dominates the first half of the season.

Thanks, Watts!

By the way, am I insane or does Bud Colins pronounce Martina's last name as Nav Ruh Tea Luvah? What's up with that?

Awww…please don’t start dissing those who do well on clay. I am hoping that the days of dismissing players as “just clay courters” are coming to a close.

But I do have to say that I don’t think that the first half of the season dominated as much by clay as much as people think it is. You start the year with the lead up to the Aussie Open and the AO on Rebound Ace. And then you have two Master’s Cup titles at Indian Wells and Miami on hard courts as well.

I watched the Open Access for Paris on TTC last night and was struck by a couple of things.

 Even though Murphey Jensen is about as loud as his brother- he is far less annoying and I actually like him.
 Mary Pierce really seems like she would be nice to hang out with.
 I like Angela Haynes even more than before.
 Dominik Hrbraty looks around 20x better when he is smiling.

While I was bored by Sampras' seemingly joyless trouncing of the competition, I like Federer's style of tennis and his personality. I found Sampras to be an unbelievably poor loser and a jerk. His nasty comments and jealousy of Patrick Rafter when he lost to the Aussie in Cincinnati and the U.S. Open in 1998 cemented my opinion of him.

I was also surprised and glad to hear Johnny Mac openly admit that he enjoys watching Roger play more than Sampras.

I wasn't dissing players who do well on clay. I also realize that there are some hard court tournaments early as well. Still, the vast majority of clay tournaments are played prior to the French. I just think something like the champions race would be more relevant if more of the clay tournaments were played later in the year.

It works both ways, after all. Someone like Sampras would've been relatively low in the race until Wimbledon. I definitely think surfaces are less important now than they've ever been, but there's still an effect.

Okay, I think I understand your point. Are you saying that you would like to see a mix of the surfaces more throughout the year?

That could be good- because then maybe there wouldn't be such a "chunkiness" to the rankings. Because on the flip side to those who gather most of their points on clay there are player such as Pim Pim who don't really do much on clay at all but really start gathering points in bunches during the hard court season.

Does anyone know what surface the Master's Cup finals will be played on in China this year?



Me too.

Hard, according to the ATP calendar.

How about London 2012? It'll sorta be like having 2 Wimbledons in one summer. Well, except that the players won't have to wear all white for the Olympics.

Best quote of Wimbledon fortnight!

From Pat Cash, not realising his mike was still on, about Lleyton Hewitts chavvy (pregnant) girlfriend:
"Yeah I reckon she's up the duff."

I think that this is the correct non-Americanized version of it. He also pronounces Sharapova, Sha-Rahp-a-Va.

What's funny is that the three contenders for the 2012 olympics were all places of majors. If Paris would have gotten the bid it would have been like two french opens and the same for New York as the tennis would have been in Flushing. It will be cool to see the someone win a gold medal on the center court at Wimbledon.

I never thought of that! I was so against the Olympics being in NY (the crowds, oh the crowds) but now I don't have the chance to see Olympic tennis. Now I'm sad.

Don't hold your breath on that. As far as I know, the all-white/predominantly-white clothing rule is a year-round rule for the All England Lawn Tennis Club. There were several issues with the Olympic bid that the All England Club was not keen about. And I believe the official Olympic surface is hard court so accepting a new venue (either Paris or London) would render a new surface (although Paris does have an indoor competition in the fall I believe but that stadium was being used for some other events.)

Will be interesting though since by 2012, the roof will be installed on Centre Court (2009). (Somebody's got to pay for it, might as well be the London Olympic Organizing Committee.) /snark

re: seeing Olympic tennis
I went to Atlanta in 1996 and tried for tennis and boxing tickets (in addition to the ones I got for other sports). I couldn't get them. They were hard to get.

On topic:
TTC is showing a summary of FedCup play. Pretty cool.

So they're gonna dig up the grass and put in hard courts?

No, no. They'll play on grass. I was just saying that this is an official change from the Olympic surface for this tournament.

If it was part of the bid the people paying for it would be us, the great tax-paying populous. Hopefully Wimbledon are paying for it themselves out of the vast sums of money made each year by the Championships. They can just spend half as much money as they usually spend to develop sod all tennis players.

And there's no way in Hell they'd play on anything other than grass.

Didn't the players wear something approximating national uniforms at the last Olympics though? Like the right colours for their nations at least? Because if there are official unis then the All England Club might have to relax their rules.

They'll have to relax the logo on clothing rule they have for sure because some teams like having their country names on the back of their shirts in big ol ass letters.

I'm pretty sure that Olympic tennis hasn't always been on hard courts unless that was just implemented. I think in Barcelona they played the tennis on clay, if I remember correctly from highlights (I was only a toddler in '92).

That I didn't know. Well, considering it's the Olympics I think there will have to be some kind of color/name on the clothing. Although I agree that it might be toned down a little.

My heart and prayers are with any of you in and around London today.

Sept 11 happened a few short days after the US Open, and now London's tragedy has happened a few days after Wimbledon. London was riding so high after that fantastic Williams finale and Live 8 Saturday and getting the Olympics yesterday. This is so very sad.

I remember an article in which Lleyton Hewitt said that after he won the championship on Sept. 9, he spent the next day walking around New York City with his trophy, just walking around and enjoying the city. Then the next morning he boarded a plane back to Australia, and it was only upon landing that he and the other passengers were told that the US had been attacked while they were in the air. Sad story that really stuck with me all this time. I think it's one of the reasons why I don't hate Hewitt.

I feel so bad for the victims and their families. What an unimaginably cruel thing to do to anyone.

It's strange to think of 2001 as the dark ages, but I bet if we had today's technology in 2001, someone on the plane would have read about the attacks via Blackberry or some similar device before the plane landed.

Thanks for your kind words!

Everyone in England has been on a high, what with the fantastic tennis, cricket, Live8, and then getting the Olympics! And then this morning everyone stopped smiling...really thanks for your support. x

Funny--so much like a little brother wanting to play with the big kids. Bless his little ferret-faced heart.


Someone pointed out to me that usually post-match, on-court interviews start with the runner-up first. I noticed that was so after the men's match.

Besides being overjoyed, Venus could have been so RELIEVED that she needed an off-court moment, hmmm? I've done that dance before, but, of course, I'm a woman of a certain age.



Focus on the rest of my life? Aaaaaagh!

Anyone who needs a Slam fix can watch the 2004 Women's Wimbledon Final on ESPN Classic Saturday afternoon. FYI.

And since I'm so consistent with the mmmmmMax love let me remind folks here it's Serena vs. mmmmmmMaria. (read: the beginning of the biggest onslaught of tennis-related marketing since Andre uttered the infamous words, "Image is everything.")

ETA: And right now: Instant Classic -- Lindsay vs. Venus 2005 final. 10 p.m. Friday. (Why am I home watching tennis repeats at 10 p.m. on a Friday night? /rhetorical question) Oooooooooh and this is really cool cause it's Mary Joe Fernandez and Dick Enberg calling it so that's even like watching a new version of the repeat.

Hi to shugrat and all our British pals! Warmest wishes. I can't tell you how much I admire the courage, dignity and poise you guys are showing in handling this awful attack.

Although I'm a New Yorker, I hadn't really been following the Olympics nominating thing. (It's just not the right time for us, although it would be great at some point. And there was this whole absurd thing about putting a football stadium to clog up the middle of Manhattan. Like there's a lot of room!!)

ANYWAY, I just happened to be listening to the BBC in the early morning when the Olympics announcement was made and was astonished and delighted to hear you sophisticated Brits sounding like us goofy Americans, going all rah, rah, yay, we got the Olympics! Whoo-hoo! It filled me with this giddy, joyous feeling. It is so clearly the RIGHT time for you guys.

Even though those hateful, little murderers have imposed their ugliness on you, I believe that joy is still there waiting for you on the other side of this horror. And you will certainly deserve it.

Apologies, for the OT. (But the O's tennis will be at Wimbledon, which will be so lovely.)

I managed to catch a little bit of the world team tennis on ESPN2 and I gotta say I really enjoyed it. The commentaters were having a good time (Mary C. and Luke J.) and I always enjoy watching Hingis play. I really miss being able to see her play on the tour, she was at her peak one hell of player. It is too bad that she seemingly burned out at such an early age. I might be in the minority but I always thought she was pretty cute, not drop dead gorgeous but an attractive girl. I always thought she was better looking than Kournikova.

shells, I watched the team tennis thing. I should have gone to bed earlier, but when I saw the two Martinas were playing, I couldn't resist. Plus I got a look at James Blake's brother.

First, re: the team tennis concept: The broadcast didn't do much to put this match in the context of the other teams or league standings. (Not that I really get into that aspect of it. I'm just watching it for the tennis itself, more like an exhibition.)

I was also wondering if the different rules had been explained thoroughly to the live audience. I was having a bit of difficulty following, and by the crowd's reactions (or lack thereof)) I wondered if they understood when it was game/set point, for instance. I did enjoy aspects of it though, like trying to make it a bit like other team sports, with the music blaring between points, the arena announcer, etc.

FYI here's the World Team Tennis website.

Now, to the important stuff: It was fantastic to see Martina H. playing again. She was a huge fave of mine.

Luke Jensen remarked that watching her he was reminded of another Swiss tennis champion. And I realized that's it - she has a very "pretty" game to me, in the same sense that others are drawn to FedEx's playing. It was wonderful to see that return of serve, some strong passing shots and great drop volleys. But I felt sorry for her namesake getting bageled in their singles match.

I didn't realize MH was still only 24. I'd forgotten just how young she was when she was on top. How amazing M. Nat's still out there at all, playing with and against another generation.

Pic of Jim Courier getting his HoF induction. Surprised I haven't seen any of this tournament on TTC this weekend.

Have seen FedCup though. I actually had a bad dream about FedCup and it proved true. The Russians have a great team though.

Venus and Serena's new reality show debuts on ABC Family on Wednesday, July 20th. Go here.

I know this has been asked previously, but I was wondering if anyone has succeeded in finding that US Open Commercial that everyone was gushing about a few pages back? I reallyreally want to see it, but I haven't been able to find a copy on the internet, and unfortunately, I don't think they're showing it in Canada. Or they are, and I'm just missing out because I only have extended cable. Woe.

It was great to see Martina Hingis play again. And cool that she's on the New York team! But was it really necessary for Mary Carillo to hate on Serena Williams in the middle of the Hingis/Navratilova match??? I mean, what the hell is wrong with this woman?

I still can't find the commercial online, but I found this article about the nicknames.

Awesome! Thanks. I'm still hoping to catch the commercial, but this will do just fine until then. Thanks again!

I was looking through the Tennis Channel schedule and on 7/26 they will be having a deleayed showing of World Team Tennis- Houston vs. NY. I am crossing my fingers that this will be one of the matches with Steffi (so happy that she will be playing!)

Does anyone know if they will be showing any Houston WTT matches on any other channels? I've looked through ESPN and ESPN2 and I don't see any- although there are repeats of the 2004 World Poker Championships ad naseum on both channels. Aaargh!

Re: Martina Hingis...Must say that I have always wanted to wipe the smirk off that child's face. I finally lost all respect for her when she did a drop serve rather than a regular serve in a match. You.Don't.Do.That. particularly if you're a professional. To me, she's always come off as a big brat.

Aww, I always liked Martina Hingis. Her game was a joy to watch(must be something in that Swiss water). I actually enjoyed her bratty behavior to an extent. I loved when she got into verbal sparing matches with Richard Williams. Did not love it when she called Mauresmo "half a man". Of course I'll just chalk it up to youthful indiscretion and hope she learned from it. It is a shame that women's tennis is now just filled with the "Big Babes" and so few win with the guile and court sense that Hingis had. I'd love to see a few more matches with Hingis in WTT. That was a fun event to watch.

BTW, I think they are rerunning that WTT program on Thursday at 11:00 am.

Carillo's incessant harping on Serena, even in World Team Tennis competition, also bugs the shit outta me too, whomever mentioned that. Her darling Maria S. has lost 4 Slam matches since her Major and is still constantly and unrequitedly hailed as the gold standard. Serena has lost ONE since her last Major and suddenly she's the shittiest thing to ever disgrace the game of tennis. How can Carillo's logic be so fucked up? HeninHardenne lost first round at Wimby, most peoples pick to win the whole thing, and no one lays a hand on her. Serena loses two rounds later and her game/career are in shambles. She was unhealthy and couldnt train for fucks sake, Mary. Leave her alone. Go slobber on Sharapova some more. I actually like Miss Carillo despite her obvious shortcomings, I just wish she wouldnt insult people so carelessly.

What is she saying?

More of her same rant from Wimby. "I wonder will Serena decide to dedicate herself..." She uses Navratilova as an example. "Martina was consistently losing to Chris Love and One in Finals and decided to hit the gym..blahblahblah..lather and repeat." Serena never loses consistently to anyone, except her own body these days. Carillo should focus on maybe Serena improving her conditioning as to eliminate the nagging ailments instead of posing the issue as a call to arms of Serena's abilities. And maybe mention Sharapova doesnt exactly move like a gazelle and could improve on that physical level too.

When Maria attains a few more Majors (and I think she will), my fear is that Carillo cant commentate any further coz her lips will be glued you-know-where. I understand business and commodity and all, but I truly pity our climate when this pretty girl can become the highest paid female althete in the universe based on one Slam and shit it really isnt about that tournament either. Its based on what white America thinks is sexy and can sell. And in the tennis world she's on a pedastal too. It just bugs me. The Williams family has 12 majors and are routinely shit on still. No amount of Slams can compensate. If Maria's Slams accumulate, we wont hear the end of it. "4 time Slam winner Maria Sharap..." It will definately happen, but noone introduces Serena as "Seven time Slam winner Serena Williams..." All we get are Carillo and Co.'s litany of complaints and put-downs.

I could never get passed Hingis's giant teeth or her non-educated remarks.

I really wish I got the tennis channel for free with my cable package, considering I'm paying over $80/month.

The sad part is she isn't even that good looking. She is really just meh, especially the limp, flat hair. For her sake I sure hope she does win a few more slams.



I don't think she was really uneducated, I think she was very blunt and could and should have become familiar with a concept known as tact, of course some people belive being tactful is just being dishonest. One thing about Hingis she always let it be known just how she felt about other players, etc. So I guess different strokes for different folks.

I don't think Carrillo is singling just Serena out, I've heard her bag on Davenport, Mauresmo, and numerous other players. She used to rag on Hingis quite frequently.