Jo-Wilfried Tsonga awful season vs Top-10’s.

– Throughout the course of the years, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has been regarded as one of the most dangerous players for the Top-5 out there, among with Soderling, Berdych or Nalbandian & Davydenko on their prime, but he was also tagged as a player who could lose to nearly anyone on a bad day. But this changed radically this season, as he has been awful vs Top-10 players all year long ( a record of 1/15!) , but his consistency vs lesser players has made him stay in the Top-10 ( he has only been defeated 10 times by a non Top-10 player). Now we’ll some stastics from him vs Top-10’s.

Overall record by season vs Top-10’s:

2012: 1/15 [ 6,25%].
2011: 10/13 [ 43,47%].
2010: 1/5 [ 16,66%].
2009: 5/5 [ 50%].
2008: 8/5 [ 61,53%]
2007: 0/3 [ 0%].
Previously to 2007: 1/1 [ 50%].

Overall record: 26/47 [ 35,61%].

Losses not to Top-10 players this season:

1- #26 Nishikori- Australian Open R4.
2- #74 Nalbandian- Indian Wells R4.
3- #11 Isner- Davis Cup QF’s.
4- #15 Simon- Monte-Carlo QF.
5- #134 Haas- Munich R2.
6- #20 Dolgopolov- Madrid R3.
7- #69 Dodig- Queens R3.
8- #47 Chardy- Toronto R2.
9- #52 Klizan- US Open R2.
10- #58 Malisse- Valencia R1.

Losses not to Top-10 players on his Top-20 seasons:

2011: 11.
2010: 11 ( though he missed half of the season).
2009: 15.
2008: 8 ( missed again half of the season).

Top-10 players he has lost this year to:

1. Djokovic- 5 times ( Masters Cup RR, Beijing F, Olympics QF, Roland Garros QF & Rome QF).
2- Berdych- 3 times ( Masters Cup RR, Stockholm F & Shangai QF).
3- Del Potro- 2 times ( Dubai QF & Marseille SF).
4- Murray- 2 times ( Masters Cup RR & Wimbledon SF).
5- Ferrer- 1 time ( Paris QF).
6- Nadal- 1 time ( Miami QF).
7- Isner- 1 time ( Winstom Salem SF).

Took two sets off Djokovic in RG ( even had two MP’s), a set off Berdych in Stockholm, a set off Murray in Wimbledon SF, a set off Nadal in Miami & a set off Isner in Winston Salem.

Also, he had the same wins on tour this year as in 2011, 55.

Let’s see how he fares vs Top-10 players on 2013, he has got a coach after nearly two years without one ( he hired Roger Rasheed, former coach of Hewitt & Monfils), I think we all wish the frenchman gets back to his best level, in which he was a real trouble for the Top-4’s.

Andreas Seppi great year

– After his 3rd title of his career in Moscow ( defeated Belluci coming back from a set and a break), this year keeps proving as Seppi’s best. Despite a bad start ( just a top-30 win, vs #25 Kohlschreiber on Rotterdam and 3 QF’s [ Doha, Rotterdam, Bucharest]) he won the Belgrade title out of nowhere ( notably defeating an inform Nalbandian). He followed it up with his best clay season, reaching R2 in Madrid ( lost to Dolgo in 3 sets), QF in Rome ( defeated #10 Isner and #16 Wawrinka, saving MP’s in both matches) and a fantastic effort in Roland Garros, reaching R4 ( his best ever performance on a Slam) and more impressively beating spanish claycourter Verdasco and taking #1 Novak Djokovic to 5 sets ( 6-4 7-6(5) 3-6 5-7 3-6). One would think that this loss would affect Andreas confidence but he proved us wrong reaching Eastbourne final ( though he disappointed there vs Roddick, losing 3-6 2-6). Then his worst part of the year arrived, the US swing where he never plays well ( best result was a R2 on Cincinatti and had early exits to outside top-100 players in the USO and Toronto). He bounced back soon, reaching Metz final ( beated Florian Mayer and Monfils), making R2 in Beijing and Shangai and winning Moscow. With his win in Russia, he got a career highest ranking at #22. There are still two weeks left, so we could still see the italian ending the season on a high, making Top-20. If he manages to do that it would the finishing touch for a great year which has seen an steady evolution of his game and confidence on himself.

Evolution of Djokovic vs Tsonga rivalry.

– The Tsonga-Djokovic rivalry has always been an interesting one. It provided one of the few Slam finals in the last years ( in Australian Open 08′) without neither Federer or Nadal, and it all ended up with Djokovic winning in 4 tight sets to claim his first Grand Slam title.

Toronto: The Master of Opportunities

– Toronto seemed already like a very open Masters-1000 with the withdrawals of Federer, Nadal ( sidelined with knee injury since Wimbledon R2), Ferrer, Almagro, Verdasco, Roddick.., and with the early results of the tournament ( Tsonga, Del Potro, Simon and Nishikori were out early) the draw became very weak, and it got even worse when Murray withdrew before playing his R3 match vs Milos Raonic, seeded for the first time on a Masters 1000.

Big John slumping

– Suddenly everything seemed perfect for Isner after Davis Cup in MC: he was American #1, he had carried USA to Davis Cup SF winning in clay over Switzerland and France, he had broken into Top-10, and he had proven he could beat top players ( Djokovic @ Indian Wells & Federer @ Davis Cup).

Remember Who?- Evgeny Korolev

– Remember that guy who hit really hard and was as high as #46 in the world in 2010? He is now ranked #313, and he just beated comeback kid and Nice finalist Brian Baker. He made his breakthrough in 2006, making the Top-100 at 18, and got a best season in 2009.

Stanislas Wawrinka Head to Head vs Top-3 players

– Stanislas Wawrinka is considered a very talented player ( decent serve, spectacular backhand and very solid forehand, apart from having decent volleys and movement, especially on clay). The only thing that keeps Stan off Top-10 is his mentality, and results vs Top-3 players, whom against he always has chances but never capitalizes. We will see his H2H vs current Top-3 players: