protected ranking

[highwoodchica]

on maratsafin.com the webby posted this:
"One thing to remember is that Marat can apply for protected ranking if he wants - this is always a last resort for a player but it is available if needed."
i've never heard of proteted ranking before. could someone who knows explain this to me please? thanks

[tall_one]

if a player is out for 6 months (or more) due to injury they may apply for a protected ranking which means that their ranking would be the same as when they 1st got hurt for 6 tourneyments. It lets them get into tourneys without needing wildcards. So Marat's ranking would be in the top 10 for 6 tourneys. Mind you he would still have to not play for another month before he would be eligible for this since his last tourney was Cincy in August

[ruth]

Would Marat not defend his AO title in order to get a protected ranking status which could prove very useful if he came back in time for the clay court season and the French open? I'm not trying to destroy anyone's hopes here, just trying to think ahead, bearing in mind that his fitness level and knee stability etc may not be ready for January 16. If only the AO had agreed to move its date in the schedule to March then we mightn't have to think like this.

[ruth]

After thinking about this, I think the protected ranking decision might be taken after deciding about the AO based on fitness etc. I I expect all the possibilities have been considered., it feels like a delicate balancing act., so fingers crossed that the best decision is taken.

[highwoodchica]

thanks girls. that helps me out. i really dont know how i feel about the ao, but im sure whatever decision is made will work out for the best.

[ornthree]

i dnt think the guy like him will decide to make a 'protected ranking ' thooo.. he's jus the man who gives it all the way

[ruth]

In one way I think you're right neworn, if he had a totally free choice he might not take it. But he has a damaged knee joint to look after now which has stopped him playing competitively since Juy/August last year. That's a lot of matches and a lot of points. Not to mention the elusive 'form' and self-confidence. Professional sportspeople put their bodies through more stresses and strains in a few years than other people do in a lifetime. Looking after their physical health is like paying the mortgage on the house. Can't play = doesn't pay in terms of winning tournaments etc. Protected ranking would mean he wouldn't meet other seeded players til the later stages of a tournament, eg he wouldn't play Federer, Roddick or Hewitt in Round 1/2. So it makes life slightly easier, though there are plenty of other players inthe top 100 who can play well. Even seasoned warriors have to watch their backs eventually!!.

[tall_one]

ruth said:

Would Marat not defend his AO title in order to get a protected ranking status which could prove very useful if he came back in time for the clay court season and the French open?

i don't really think that a protected ranking helps Marat as much as it does some other players. Marat can beat anyone & he can lose to anyone. it doesn't really matter if he plays Roger in the 1st round or in the final, he needs to play hard to beat him. Sometimes it is better if Marat has high ranking opponants (AO 2004 comes to mind) every round. And with clay season some of the ones you need to really worry about aren't ranked that highly cause they are only good on clay.

getting into tourneys isn't a problem for Marat, 99.99% of tourney directors would bend over backwards to get him a wildcard if he wanted it so he doesn't really need the protected ranking there either

[ruth]

Thanks for answering my question tall_one and good luck to Marat on Feb 13!

[blue]

Honestly I think, that a protected ranking would be useful fir Marat. Often it takes him a bit of a time to get into a tournament, íf he gets through some tricky first rounds, he can show some amazing matches in the final rounds.
I don´t think he would´ve beaten Agassi or Roddick in the first round of AO 2004, due to the lack of rythm or confidence he there had. Also the tough draw made him tired, so that he was running out of gas in the final.
I think it´s better after a long injury, to play first against some weaker or not so high ranked players to gain rythm and confidence and then go for the hard matches against a very big name.
I know, that a high ranking doesn´t always mean you have an easy draw, bot imo if he can apply the protected ranking, it would make sense for him.

[ornthree]

he is ou!t!! T______T@

[mariekesmal]

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, and that's an understandment! Marat is comming to Holland!!!!! To play in Rotterdam in Februarie (if his knee is alright that is, but richard kraijeck said he most be convedend to come to holland, because they've made a deal with his management 3 weeks ago) and the best news is... Ive got tickets to go! Waaaaaa, Federer and Nadal will be there to! Groovy!
Greetings Marieke

[zaramelle]

Hey! I'm delighted he's coming to Holland! I'm going to buy tickets, for sure! Maybe see you there, Marieke!
But that protected ranking thing, did anyone ever asked for that? I didn't even know it existed, but that maybe just my silly ignorance...
Btw, I'm new!

x.

[marats]

Welcome Zaramelle !

[tall_one]

zaramelle said:

But that protected ranking thing, did anyone ever asked for that? I didn't even know it existed, but that maybe just my silly ignorance...

lots of people have used the protected ranking. people like Haas had to use it because he had no ranking at all after being out over a year. I think Venus, Serena, Henin & Davenport have all used it, i htink James Blake did too.

Marat has never been out long enough to use it before, he always comes back too soon, plays 1 tourney, and goes back to being injuried