Wednesday, March 21, 2012

All-time top 100 includes two ex-Capitals (so far)

   Tennis Channel's list of the top 100 players of all time so far includes two former Sacramento Capitals of  World TeamTennis, with one more coming.
   As if ranking players of different eras isn't difficult enough, an international panel of experts is combining men and women and active and retired players. Good luck with all of that. In any case, Lindsay Davenport is ranked No. 43 and Michael Chang No. 100. Andre Agassi will be the third ex-Capital when the top 20 are revealed.
   Davenport won six Grand Slam titles (three in singles and three in women's doubles) and an Olympic singles gold medal in singles and played on three Fed Cup championship teams for the United States. She was ranked No. 1 in singles and doubles.
   Chang remains the youngest man to win a Grand Slam singles title after capturing the 1989 French Open at 17. He reached three other Grand Slam singles finals and played on one Davis Cup title team for the U.S.
   Tennis Channel has broadcast three one-hour shows -- on Nos. 100-71, Nos. 70-41 and Nos. 40-21 -- this week. Nos. 20-11 will premiere Thursday at 4 p.m. PDT and Nos. 10-1 Friday at the same time (see the full schedule below).
   Agassi played part-time for the Capitals from 2002, when they won their fifth of a record six WTT titles, to 2004. Chang competed part-time in 2009 and 2010.
   Davenport has a long history with the Capitals. She earned WTT Female Rookie of the Year honors at 17 years old in 1993 and helped Sacramento win WTT crowns in 1997 and 1998. Davenport also played one match during the Capitals' 2007 championship season six weeks after giving birth to her first child. Now 35 with three children, she is scheduled to play for the Orange Country Breakers against the Capitals on July 24 at Sunrise Marketplace Stadium.
   Chang was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2008, and Agassi joined him last year. Davenport undoubtedly will join them when she becomes eligible next year.
   Here's Tennis Channel's top-100 schedule for the rest of the week (all times PDT):
   Tonight -- Nos. 40-21 at 10 o'clock (repeat).
   Thursday -- Nos. 100-71 at 1 p.m.; Nos. 70-41 at 2 p.m.; Nos. 40-21 at 3 p.m.; Nos. 20-11 at 4 p.m. (premiere), 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.
   Friday -- Nos. 100-71 at noon; Nos. 70-41 at 1 p.m.; Nos. 40-21 at 2 p.m.; Nos. 20-11 at 3 p.m.; Nos. 10-1 at 4 p.m. (premiere), 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.         
   Following are Tennis Channel's No. 100 through 41:
100 - Michael Chang, Male, USA
99 - Ann Haydon Jones, Female, GBR
98 - Henry Bunny Austin, M, GBR
97 - Pat Cash, M, AUS
96 - Manuel Orantes, M, ESP
95 - Thomas Muster, M, AUT
94 - Andy Roddick, M, USA
93 - Nicola Pietrangeli, M, ITA
92 - Svetlana Kuznetsova, F, RUS
91 - Shirley Fry Irvin, F, USA
90 - Bill Johnston, M, USA
89 - Dorothea Lambert Chambers, F, GBR
88 - Amelie Mauresmo, F, FRA
87 - Mary Pierce, F, FRA
86 - Tony Wilding, M, NZL
85 - Yannick Noah, M, FRA
84 - Norman Brookes, M, AUS
83 - Jan Kodes, M, CZE
82 - Yevgeny Kafelnikov, M, RUS
81 - Vic Seixas, M, USA
80 - Marat Safin, M, RUS
79 - Gabriela Sabatini, F, ARG
78 - Ashley Cooper, M, AUS
77 - Molla Mallory, F, USA
76 - William Renshaw, M, GBR
75 - Pauline Betz Addie, F, USA
74 - Tony Roche, M, AUS
73 - Jaroslav Drobny, M, CZE
72 - Gottfried Von Cramm, M, GER
71 - Maria Sharapova, F, RUS
70 - Patrick Rafter , M, AUS
69 - Louise Brough , F, USA
68 - Helen Hull Jacobs , F, USA
67 - Fred Stolle , M, AUS
66 - Bobby Riggs , M, USA
65 - Pancho Segura  , M, ECU
64 - Ellsworth Vines , M, USA
63 - Lleyton Hewitt  , M, AUS
62 - Hana Mandlikova , F, CZE
61 - Neale Fraser , M, USA
60 - Virginia Wade , F, GBR
59 - Margaret Osborne Dupont, F, USA
58 - Alice Marble , F,  USA
57 - Jennifer Capriati , F, USA
56 - Stan Smith, M, USA
55 -  Gustavo Kuerten, M, BRA
54 - Manuel Santana, M, ESP
53 - Tracy Austin, F, USA
52 - Jack Crawford, M, AUS
51 - Doris Hart, F, USA
50 - Tony Trabert, M, USA
49 - Ilie Nastase , M, ROM
48 - Frank Sedgman, M, AUS
47 -  Jean Borotra, M, FRA
46 -  Henri Cochet, M, FRA
45 -  Kim Clijsters, F, BEL 
44 -  Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, F, ESP
43 -  Lindsay Davenport, F, USA
42 -  Jim Courier, M, USA
41 -  Guillermo Vilas, M, ARG

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