Folks, I have a problem in writing up new highs this week. It's to do with space - in the past, as an individual posting site has filled up, I've simply moved onto the next. That's no longer working, and I've spent the last five hours trying out various ways of getting round the problem, but to no avail, I'm afraid. I've now run out of time to try anything else, and won't have the opportunity of trying again at any length till early next week. I apologise that you're unable to read the lists as easily as usual. The only details actually missing are this week's new singles highs; I list them below. How impressive a set for a single week!
August 11 ALEX SLABINSKI 287 CHRIS EATON 369 DAN COX 779 MATTHEW ILLINGWORTH 821 DAN EVANS 962 JOSH MILTON 1006 DAVID RICE 1040 BURNHAM ARLIDGE 1100 DAN SMETHURST 1104 ANDREW FITZPATRICK 1336 GEORGE COUPLAND 1449 BEN PRITCHARD 1710
Still not had time to try re-doing the tables, but here's a summary of this week's achievements. I thought last week's 12 rises was terrific news - this week it's 15!
Josh Goodall enters the top 200 for the first time at 199, Alex Slabinski is at 268, Chris Eaton at 366, James Ward breeches the 400 mark at 397, Dan Evans has a huge rise to break into the world's top 750 at 746, Dan Cox moves up to 770, Matthew Illingworth sees a figure beginning with 7 after his name for the first time at 789, Jamie Feaver rises to 823, Josh Milton creeps closer to the magic 1000 at 1004, Jonny Kinsella approaches the same mark, he's at 1035, Dan Smethurst is at 1102, Gregory Howe reaches a new high at the age of 36 - he's at 1222, Ashley Watling cracks the top 1400 at 1393, George Coupland is at 1444, and Chris Harfield enters the singles lists for the first time at 1823.
There are half-a-dozen new doubles career highs, too:
Ken Skupski at 254, David Brewer is below 600 for the first time at 567, Alexander Ward, 1154, and Matthew Brooklyn, 1306, enter the rankings for the first time, 'our own' Andrew Fitzpatrick rises to 1352, while Luke Campbell is up 3 at 1462.
For the third successive week, the number of new singles highs is in double figures!
Josh Goodall 198 Dan Evans 627 - Dan's Cumberland win sees him rise another 100+ spots Dan Cox 768 Matt Illingworth 783 Tim Hewitt 914 - 30 places above his previous best Josh Milton 972 - first time in the top 1000 Jonny Kinsella 1000 - also first time in the top 1000; next target, a 3 figure ranking Burnham Arlidge 1024 - highest of those unranked before this year Dan Smethurst 1100 - new entrant to the top 1100 Andrew Fitzpatrick 1247 - breaks into the top 1300
Morning, Billy in Buckie (or wherever). There's been a similar thread for the girls running since January! It's the very first item in the Women's list. There's a similar one, too, for the Juniors, but for tournament victories only - the folk who are expert on the Juniors (Arka-cum-Salmon, Wolf and one or two others) often comment that the rankings are not a real reflection of ability the way they are in Seniors, largely because some top Juniors play mainly on the Senior tours, thereby not gaining Junior points.
Thanks for that! Junior rankings confuse me so i will not go there! Do you go to Edinburgh to the tennis in May?
Hi Scottie....I have went to the 'Scottish International Open' or Edinburgh futures for the last two years....bit wet this year...still saw Evo beating Cox !
saw that much thought Evans much better prospect, however standards dropped I remember De Voest Siriani monfills and Cipolla. Also Haase who looked really good even then. This year was poor I thought.
Thanks for that! Junior rankings confuse me so i will not go there! Do you go to Edinburgh to the tennis in May?
Hi Scottie....I have went to the 'Scottish International Open' or Edinburgh futures for the last two years....bit wet this year...still saw Evo beating Cox !
Hi Guys ... managed Edinburgh two days this year - clearly different days to Drew, as I still have the remnants of the sun-tan gained at Craiglockart! I agree about the standard in comparison with the players Scottie recalls, and also thought Evans looked the more complete player than Cox - they're still very young, though, plenty of time to overtake and re-overtake a few times yet. Perhaps we can manage to plan to meet-up one day next May?
Another double-figure clutch of career-highs to report this week, headed by the fabulous
4 of ANDY MURRAY
594 for DAN EVANS - another big jump of 33 places into the top 600 for the first time 739 for MATT ILLINGWORTH - 44 places rise into the world's best 750 players 766 for DAN COX 811 for JAMIE FEAVER 838 for SEAN THORNLEY - first time through the 900 barrier 969 for JOSH MILTON 1022 for BURNHAM ARLIDGE - the highest of those unranked at the start of the season 1243 for ANDREW FITZPATRICK 1391 for ASHLEY WATLING
In doubles, we have just one riser:
530 for DAVID BREWER
And, finally, I owe CHRIS HARFIELD an apology - last week, he topped at 1813, and I missed it. Sorry, Chris!
592 Dan Evans 830 Sean Thornley 942 Josh Milton 997 Jonny Kinsella - first time in the top 1000 1017 Burnham Arlidge 1026 David Rice 1095 Dan Smehurst - under 1100 for the first time 1386 Ashley Watling 1440 George Coupland
DOUBLES
392 Chris Eaton - breeching the 400 barrier 526 David Brewer 1134 Phillip Stephens - Phillip's debut in the rankings; welcome, Phillip.