Beating the Best
There is a saying that, “if you want to be the best, you need to beat the best.” One measure of this is how much success a talented, up-and-coming player has against the best players, i.e. the top ten players. Some players may find it easier to hit out and play their best when they “have nothing to lose” against a top player. However, a winning record aginst the best players is still an indication of talent and potential. In analyzing some
data from a few months ago from the ATP Tour regarding players’ winning percentages versus top ten players, some surprising results appear. For example, super-talented Frenchman and new member of the top ten, Richard Gasquet, had barely won twenty percent of his matches against top ten players. In contrast, equally-talented Frenchman, Gael Monfils, had won over forty percent of his matches against the elite 10. Not surprisingly, Spanish lefty, Rafael Nadal, had won over sixty-five percent of his matches against other top ten players so far during his brief, but very successful career. Highly-touted Scotsman, Andy Murray, has also won over forty percent of his matches versus the top players and perhaps that’s why so many expect him to win a Grand Slam title one day… Cypriot star, Marcos Baghdatis, actually had a better percentage against the top ten than current Australian Open Champion, Novak Djokovic, but that is probably changing rapidly given their recent records. Some players may develop their games more slowly than others, but in the end you need to consistently beat the best to be the best… period.
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