Welcome to Vitartennis' men's and women's rankings. We will periodically rate the players according to their performance for the 1999 calendar year.Unlike the computer rankings, which favor quantity over quality, we weigh the Grand Slams very heavily. After that, we look most closely at the Super Nines for the men. We also consider head-to-head matchups.
Please keep in mind that our rankings are year-to-date 1999. Unlike the ATP rankings, ours do not consider the last couple of months of 1998. These rankings exclude Steffi Graf, who took herself out of the WTA rankings when she retired last month.
With that, we introduce our Vitartennis Top 10, followed by a quick take on each player.
THE MEN1) ANDRE AGASSI -- A no-brainer. Sure, Pete didn't play the Open, but the A-train has two Slam wins and a Slam final this year. He wasn't all that motivated at the Grand Slam Cup.2) YEFGENY KAFELNIKOV -- His run to the semis of the Open gives him a slight edge over the idle Sampras. Y2K is starting to show that he's more than just an occasional virus to opponents. He's developing some maturity and consistency.
3) PETE SAMPRAS -- His absence cast a pall over the Open, especially since he had won his previous four tournaments, 22 matches, and was 3-0 over Agassi since Wimbledon. Plans to come back for the Paris Super Nine.
4) TODD MARTIN -- Yikes, were we wrong about you! Sorry about that. Nice show at the Open. The way you played in the final probably would have been good enough to beat anyone other than Sampras and Agassi.
5) GUSTAVO KUERTEN -- Made the quarters of the French, Wimbledon and U.S. Open, plus won two Super Nines. If he can raise his intensity level just a touch, he can go even farther at next year's Slams.
6) GREG RUSEDSKI -- This is Mr. Indoor's time to shine.
7) PATRICK RAFTER -- A very disappointing dropout from the Open. Semis at Wimbledon, finals in Cincy and Rome Super Nines, and a couple of other decent performances. Look for him to come back stronger next year, when his shoulder is in top form.
8) THOMAS ENQVIST -- A mediocre year sandwiched by an Aussie Open final and an impressive run of wins in the Stuttgart Super Nine over Kuerten, Rios, Agassi and Krajicek.
9) CEDRIC PIOLINE -- What happens to this guy between Slams? Made the semis at the Open and the quarters at Wimbledon. His form is among the most classical on the tour.
10) NICOLAS KIEFER -- An underachiever at the Slams, but when it comes to tournaments like Tashkent, he's the king.
THE WOMEN1) MARTINA HINGIS -- Three Slam finals, but just one win. As Serena showed, Hingis can be overpowered. But she's still the most consistent performer day after day.
2) SERENA WILLIAMS -- We know the Grand Slam Cup is an exo, but beating Davenport (again) and Venus adds to the fast-growing aura around Superwoman.
3) VENUS WILLIAMS -- Playing better in the winter season. Look for her to take the Chase Championships in November.
4) LINDSAY DAVENPORT -- A disappointing loss to Serena in the U.S. Open semis. Lindsay won Wimbledon and also made the semis of Australia, but she has been playing indifferently since September.
5) MONICA SELES -- She hit the ball well during the Open, but she's now a step or two behind the top four.
6) MARY PIERCE -- Ends October with a tournament win. Starting to raise her game a notch.
7) BARBARA SCHETT -- The Austrian is one of the year's most consistent performers.
8) JULIE HALARD-DECUGIS -- Quietly beats everyone she's supposed to.
9) ARANTXA SANCHEZ-VICARIO -- She tries hard.
10) NOBODY -- We can no longer with a conscience continue to rank Amelie Mauresmo. So we'll leave No. 10 blank until someone worthy comes along to fill the spot.
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