Laura now GB no 1

Jan · Hall of fame

RE: Laura now GB no 1

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

I'm happy for them both. I'd be interested to know the average rankings of players that they've beaten to get to where they are, if anyone has those stats.
My instinct is that Laura has taken more giher ranked scalps to get where she is tham Heather, but I'd like to know whether that's just my bias towards Laura, and the fact she's historically got harder draws.

indiana · Tennis legend

Average rankings of wins and lossses :

HEATHER : 35 wins average WR 169 ( above 400, she has 403, 559 and unranked which I have made 1218, there being 1217 currently ranked players )

25 lossses average WR 64 ( above 200, she just has a 304, Oudin )

LAURA : 34 wins average WR 172 ( above 400, she just has a 1200 )

25 losses average WR 84 ( above 200, she just has a WR 340, Bouchard )

These haven't been effected by outriders too dispropotionately in that each just have one very big win ranking, 1218 ( unranked) and 1200 respectively, and each just has one loss above 200, both being in the 300s )

Very similar win average ranking. Laura's higher loss average ranking is not surprising given having 8 losses to 4 losses to players outside the top 100 with most of these being early on in the year.

TOP 50 RESULTS :

HEATHER :

5 wins against WRs 25, 30, 40, 48 and 49

14 losses against WRS 1 ( Azarenka), 2 ( Sharapova ), 3 ( Azarenka ), 3 ( A Radwanska ), 8 ( Li Na ), 15, 20, 21, 27, 28, 28, 36, 37 and 48

LAURA :

9 wins against WRs 8 ( Li Na ), 22, 23, 25, 27, 30, 41, 47 and 49

11 losses against WRs 3 ( Sharapova ), 7 ( Stosur), 11, 13, 20, 26, 31, 35, 46, 46 and 48 so 6 - 6 against top 30 players.

Taking both my last 2 posts together, I'd say one can pretty much see how Heather and Laura have ended up very evenly ranked.:19:01 PM

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 15th of October 2012 10:23:56 PM

indiana · Tennis legend

RBBOT wrote:
Helen40 wrote:
My instinct is that Laura has taken more giher ranked scalps to get where she is tham Heather, but I'd like to know whether that's just my bias towards Laura, and the fact she's historically got harder draws.
Interestingly Laura's massive jump in form has co-incided with a massive drop in the average rank of her first round opponents. So much that whereas pre-wimbledon she'd had the toughest draws of the top 4 for 2 years, if you now look at whole of 2012, she has had the weakest average Grand Slam / Premier Mandatory / Premier 5 first round opponent, with Heather now having the toughest. She still has the 2nd toughest overall draws though, but the average there is getting a lot higher too.
Full details

I'd say that overall this year Laura, Anne and Bally ( continuing on from last year ) have all done rather well for 1st round draws, just Heather has had a bit of a poor deal.

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 15th of October 2012 10:36:31 PM

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

It has been a quirk of Laura's draws this year that she has had hardly any matches against 51-100 ranked players. Possibly a good thing given her low percentage against them!
The stats bear out the fact that Laura is more dangerous against the top players but Heather is more consistent against the mid ranked players.

philwrig · Hall of fame

I've always felt that Laura tends to play to the level of her opponent, which is why she is so dangerous against the top players.
I find it very tough to assess what Hev's best tennis playing level is. If I was to hazard a guess I would say that last week she played solid top 50 tennis but not higher. I think with that level and her consistency she can work her up to the top 30 mark next year in the rankings. Urszula Radwanska is a good example of a player who hasn't beaten many top 20 players but is now up to 30 in the rankings. The ability to beat players you should beat all the time is a very important asset in being able to maintain a high ranking. Wozniacki got to number 1 doing it.
Laura is a completely different proposition able at her best to play top 20 tennis, but also nowhere near as consistent and far more injury prone. Also due to lack of fitness and mental maturity not able to finish off tournaments as well as Hev. It wouldn't surprise me to see them continue to rank around the same mark next year, but then as Laura gets stronger physically and matures more mentally for her then to move closer to the top 10 whilst Hev gets stuck around the top 25 mark.

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

Helen40 wrote:
My instinct is that Laura has taken more giher ranked scalps to get where she is tham Heather, but I'd like to know whether that's just my bias towards Laura, and the fact she's historically got harder draws.

Interestingly Laura's massive jump in form has co-incided with a massive drop in the average rank of her first round opponents. So much that whereas pre-wimbledon she'd had the toughest draws of the top 4 for 2 years, if you now look at whole of 2012, she has had the weakest average Grand Slam / Premier Mandatory / Premier 5 first round opponent, with Heather now having the toughest. She still has the 2nd toughest overall draws though, but the average there is getting a lot higher too.

Full details

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Thanks all, especially Indy. It's made interesting reading. I am loooking forward to the continuing saga next year.

Philwrig makes good points too about Wozniaki's consistency, but not being a giant killer taking her to no. 1.

I guess I feel Lura's jump has happened suddenly (pretty much since the Olympics), but Heather's has been gradual - or is that my gut being worng again?

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

I think a model for Heather next year might be the performance of Varvara Lepchenko, who started this year ranked 127, losing to Anne K in Q16 of her first event of 2012. Since then very quietly and steadily has worked her way through to now be ranked 21st, pretty much unheralded, even in the States.

This was achieved by 1 SF, 2 QF's (one in Madrid for big points), decent performances at 3/4 majors, and generally winning the matches that her ranking dictated she should, along with the odd flash of inspiration for against the odds wins, but without a top 10 victory - Schiavone twice, when ranked 11 & 12 were her best.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

I've been looking at another stat today based on number of tour wins in a season (i.e. excluding Qualifiers and ITFs):

Jo Durie won 19 in 1988, and since then I believe no-one had won more than 15 until this season (Bally won 15 in 2010).

Therefore Laura had the most tour wins since 1988 when she reached 16 with her 2nd round Osaka win, but held that record for just 2 days as Heather's title run took her to 18 wins.

In total the British girls have won 48 so far this season- would be nice if Anne could get us to the half century mark...

Edit: Now 49 with Anne defeating Bertens in Luxembourg

-- Edited by tony_orient on Wednesday 17th of October 2012 02:18:56 PM

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

Laura has now withdrawn from Barnstaple, so Heather will end the year as GB #1.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Which makes the title of this thread kinda out of date. . .

jake270392 · Intermediate Club Player

Name	Tournaments (First half to French)	1^st round loses MD + total losses	MD Wins (WTA Level) + Total wins	Points (to French)	Points (After French)	Top 50 Wins + Best win
AK	29 still counting (15 first half)	15 - 29	6 - 18 wins total	272	209 still counting	2 + Cibulkova WR 16
LR	24 11 (first half)	7 - 25	16 - 35 wins total	163	981	9 + Li Na WR 8 (Clijster WR 25)
HW	26 13 (first half)	7 - 25	18 - 35	366	846	5 + Safarova WR 25
EB	16 11 (first half)	7 - 16	5 - 11	170	208	0 + Urzula Radwanska WR 91
JK	19 still counting 10 (first half)	1 - 18	2 - 32	164	263	1 + Pervak WR 38
TM	18 still counting 6 (first half)	0 - 18	1 - 21	14	165	0 + Benesova WR 53

Hi, I have just done a general analysis of this year for our top 6 players. Whether or not it is relevant or if you find interesting (I hope you do) but I hope this links in with the other stats that others have posted. :)

-- Edited by jake270392 on Thursday 18th of October 2012 04:39:36 PM

-- Edited by jake270392 on Thursday 18th of October 2012 09:34:38 PM

-- Edited by jake270392 on Saturday 20th of October 2012 04:54:53 PM

-- Edited by jake270392 on Wednesday 24th of October 2012 02:17:14 PM

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Thanks Jake, stats are always interesting

And I'm a saddo.

Peter too · Tennis legend

I was just looking at the rankings and wondered why Manisha Foster had dropped so far and then found she hadn't played since April. Does anyone know if she is injured or off at Uni. somewhere?