[UPDATES] This page will be updated every week (except during Grand Slams and the Miami TMS tournament) at the conclusion of the week's finals. The Best 18 for the Top 150 players, ranked according to the Entry System, is calculated on Grand Slam, Masters Series, International Series, and Challenger series results (plus Futures and Satellites.)
[WHAT IS IT?] Grand Slams
| Tournament
| Surface
| Draw Size
| Format
| Australian Open
| Hardcourt (Rebound Ace)
| 128
| Best-of-5-sets
| French Open
| Clay (Red Clay)
| 128
| Best-of-5-sets
| Wimbledon
| Grass (Lawn)
| 128
| Best-of-5-sets
| U.S. Open
| Hardcourt (Decoturf)
| 128
| Best-of-5-sets
|
|
The Best 18 is a collection of results compiled over a 52 week period that determine a player's Entry ranking and is divided up into two sections: 13 slots for the 4 Grand Slams and 9 Tennis Masters Series (TMS) tournaments plus 5 slots for results from other events which include -- but are not limited to -- International Series and Challenger series events. Players who by virtue of their entry ranking are eligible for direct entry into a Grand Slam or TMS event will receive a zero (0) if they do not enter. Tennis Masters Series (TMS)
| Tournament
| Surface
| Draw Size
| Format
| Indian Wells
| Hardcourt (Plexipave)
| 64
| Best-of-5-sets Final
| Miami
| Hardcourt (Leykold Cushion)
| 96
| Best-of-5-sets Final
| Monte Carlo
| Clay (Red Clay)
| 64
| Best-of-5-sets Final
| Rome
| Clay (Red Clay)
| 64
| Best-of-5-sets Final
| Hamburg
| Clay (Red Clay)
| 64
| Best-of-5-sets Final
| Montreal / Toronto
| Hardcourt (Decoturf)
| 64
| Best-of-3-sets Final
| Cincinnati
| Hardcourt (Decoturf)
| 64
| Best-of-3-sets Final
| Stuttgart
| Indoor Hardcourt (Greenset)
| 48
| Best-of-5-sets Final
| Paris
| Indoor Carpet (Taraflex)
| 48
| Best-of-5-sets Final
|
|
A Year-End Championship Masters Cup result is added to the Best 18 and does not occupy one of the eighteen slots.
To summarize, top ranked players who are eligible for all Grand Slams and TMS events will count all 13 of these results. Furthermore, qualifiers who entered the main draw of these tournaments will count each of these results in their Best 18 for 52 weeks.
Year-End Championship
| Tournament
| Surface
| Draw Size
| Format
| Masters Cup
| Varies
(Lisbon 2000: Indoor Hardcourt)
| 8
| Round-robin
Best-of-5-sets Final
|
|
That is, if they play all 13, 13 point values will be counted; if they skip one, a zero (0) point value will be added to the slot.For more information on how the Best 18 works: http://www.tennislovers.com/Content/atpsystem.htm
Best 18 Table Legend
| Symbol
| Description
| (c)
| Challenger series tournament.
| (f)
| Future tournament.
| (s)
| Satellite tournament.
| DNP
| Did Not Play. A zero-pointer. The player has received a 0 point value for not participating in a Grand Slam (GS) or Tennis Masters Series (TMS) tournament where he was eligible for direct entry into the main draw based on his ranking.
|
|
The tables I have assembled here are sorted chronologically (most recent results first), and by points in descending order. All data is synchronized with the Entry System so all aggregate point totals should match the official standings.
[ROLLING SM] Q: How can I use the Best 18 data here for the [www.jdland.com/sm] Rolling SM contest?First of all, check to see if the player you are considering as an UP pick selection is defending points. Since these tables are updated on a weekly basis, the result will be at the bottom of the list. Take into account that some events are not always held 52 weeks apart. In other words, a tournament held on week 5 last year may be held on week 6 or 7 this year. In this case the calendar is said to be 'staggered' as the points will fall off before the event starts. Therefore, pay close attention to the date in the Best 18 tables -- the tournament name is only included as a guide when comparing calendars. Once you've determined whether a player is defending points or not, weigh up that player's current form, the round he will have to reach in order to 'break even' or better his previous result, and finally, when picking outside of Slams and TMS tournaments, look at his 18th and 19th results which are included at the bottom of every table. A null value (represented by a blank space) in the 19th result slot means that a player has entered less than 19 events over the past 52 weeks and when the 18th result drops out, it will be replaced by nothing unless the player entered a tournament the previous week. Therefore the player's ranking point total will fall by a margin of 100% of those points if a 19th result is not in the 'queue' to replace it.
Both the 18th and 19th results are important when choosing players outside Slams and Masters because they determine how many points, if any, you will gain for a player that week as results from these events are shuffled in and out of the Best 18 unlike GS and TMS results for players who entered the main draw. For example, if a player's 18th result is 120 points and the player is currently entered in an International Series event that offers 120 points for a finalist, obviously he will not gain a point unless he goes on to win the tournament (175 points). For Short Sell (SS) picks, the key result is the 19th result. Consider a situation where three players are defending 175 (W) points on a given week -- the 19th result for each player will determine who loses the most points and therefore becomes the most profitable short-sell. If all 3 players lose in the first round gaining 5 points, and Player 1 has a 19th result of 75 points, Player 2, 40 points, and Player 3, no points, Player 3 will yield the highest return with 170 points falling off the computer due to the fact a 19th result (greater than 5 points) will not be replacing it (-175 + 5 = -170).
[POINT SUMMARY] Regarding the Point Summary page -- 18th and 19th results are subject to change in the following circumstances:
- A result is added this week that is higher in value than the 18th result. This week's 18th result will move back to 19th position and the result added this week will become the 18th result or higher. Let's assume this week's 18th result for a top-ranked player is 60 points and the 19th is 55 points. If a result equal to the 18th result is added this week, it will replace it and the 18th result will move back to 19th spot, and this week's 19th result back to 20th. The 18th and 19th results next week would be 60 and 60 respectively.
- This week's 19th result was added 52 weeks ago and is due to fall off the rankings computer at the start of next week. If a 20th result exists, it will replace it, otherwise next week's 19th result will be 0. Or, as explained in the previous example, when a result is added this week equal to or greater than this week's 18th result it will replace it and this week's best 18th result will become the 19th result next week.
[CONTACT] Send me an e-mail at statscomments
gmx.net if you find what you believe to be a calculation error and I'll do my best to correct it. Alternatively, you can post your comments in the Best 18 Chat.
