[maximus82]

A bit of data on the performance of the much discussed new generation of top 10 players...charts and data first, then a bit of analysis...

All head to heads are from 2001 only, including any match-ups that show up in the ITF database (hopman, fed. cup)

<br />LD_JC_VW_MH_KC<br />--------------------------------<br />1-3 0-1 0-1 1-1 --- | Clijsters<br />0-1 1-1 1-2 0-0 1-2 | Henin<br />0-5 0-3 0-2 0-1 1-1 | Dokic<br />0-2 0-2 1-2 ---- 1-2 | Shaughnessy

<br />SW_JH_AM_JD_Mo_Me<br />-------------------------------<br />0-2 2-1 ---- 1-1 0-1 2-1 | Clijsters <br />0-2 ---- ---- ---- 0-2 ---- | Henin<br />---- ---- 1-0 ---- 0-2 1-0 | Dokic<br />---- ---- ---- 0-1 1-2 ---- | Shaughnessy

<br />Old Guard = players who are tour veterns or top 10 regulars the past few years<br /> (LD, JC, VW, MH, SW, Mon) <br />Newbies = KC, JH, AM, JD, Meghann

Clijsters-<br />vs. Old Guard: 2-9 <br />vs. Newbies: 5-3<br />vs. All: 7-12

Henin-<br />vs. Old Guard: 2-8<br />vs. Newbies: 1-2 <br />vs. All 3-10

Dokic-<br />vs. Old Guard: 0-13<br />vs. Newbies 3-1<br />vs. All 3-14

Shaughnessy-<br />vs. Old Guard: 2-8<br />vs. Newbies: 1-3<br />vs. All: 3-11

 

[maximus82]

Now a bit o' analysis!

- The first thing to note is the relatively abysmal record these 4 have vs. the more established top players. All together they are 6-38 (14% win percentage).

- Dokic has yet to beat any of the old guard.

- Despite what some other posters have claimed about Henin having extremely hard draws this year, she has played the fewest matches vs. this pool of players.

- Henin is the only one of the four to beat capriati. Shaughnessy holds the only win over Seles.

- Dokic and Clijsters have winning records against their peers, Henin and Shaughnessy have losing records.

- All of these players have major problems with Davenport (1-11 all together) and possibly Serena (0-4...Dokic and Shaughnessy haven't played her yet).

- Where Mauresmo is going to land in the rankings is very much in the air...we should expect that she will have many match-ups with these 4 in 2002, but this season only gives us one result (loss to Dokic in the finals of Rome). How well she is going to match up vs. Kim, Justine, and Meghann will influence her ranking an incredible amount!

~maximus82

 

[Monica_Rules]

some interesting stats there!They have such a poor record against the '0ld guard' 14% win % thats bad! <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

 

[maximus82]

Just realized I never really posted my central question in collecting this data: Given this information, who of these four do you think will perform the best next year?

My (entirely biased) opinion:<br />- I think that Meghann Shaughnessy will suprise everybody and have an even better season in 2002 than she did in 2001. Her two wins over the Old Guard showcased her incredible mental toughness - she beat the untouchable Summer Venus and Seles (who the young guns have major problems beating).

- In the mental toughness department, Clijsters is up there too (see: win over Davenport, FO final, SF loss to Davenport at Sanex).

So my final ranks of the four:<br />1- Clijsters<br />2/3- Shaughness/Henin (depends if Henin's serve improves as much as some claim it has)<br />4- Dokic (NO wins over the Old Guard yet...)

 

[cynicole]

Based solely on the data I'd go...<br />1 - Clijsters<br />2 - Henin<br />3 - Shaughnessy<br />4 - Dokic

But when I consider other things it gets complicated.

Looking at it from a banking perspective it looks like...<br />1 - Clijsters<br />2 - Shaughnessy<br />3 - Dokic<br />4 - Henin

Shaughnessy and Dokic could be interchangable...as Dokic has had some nicer Slam results and big wins over top players in previous years.

Henin is last because her year-by-year results don't look pretty on a chart. It factors in her history of injury.

On the flipside, we also have to note that she's the least experienced WTA Tour-wise of the four. She has played fewer matches/tournaments than any of the other four. Who knows what the extra bit of experience will do for her?

Then there's always the "talent"-based way of ranking them...but I don't feel like fighting over that at that moment. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

 

[veryborednow]

I'd go:

Clijsters<br />Dokic<br />Henin<br />Shaughnessy