{"id":874,"date":"2016-12-28T19:41:48","date_gmt":"2016-12-29T00:41:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordontennis.com\/?p=874"},"modified":"2016-12-28T19:41:48","modified_gmt":"2016-12-29T00:41:48","slug":"atp-2016-review-11-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2016\/12\/28\/atp-2016-review-11-15\/","title":{"rendered":"ATP 2016 Year In Review: Rank 11-15"},"content":{"rendered":"

This offseason, Last Word On Tennis will be looking back at the seasons of the top 50 players on each tour. This installment includes the 2016 ATP players ranked 11-15.<\/em><\/p>\n

11.\u00a0David Goffin<\/a><\/h2>\n

The Belgian capped a strong 2016 season with his first ATP World Tour Finals appearance, albeit due to Gael Monfils\u2019 substitute.\u00a0 A $100,000 check<\/a> for receiving a 6-1 6-2 demolition at the hands of Novak Djokovic in barely over an hour doesn\u2019t sound like a bad deal, does it?<\/p>\n

The 26-year-old soared to a career-high number 11 in the ATP rankings owing to his steady play throughout the campaign. As opposed to previous years, Goffin wasn\u2019t a minor tournaments vulture. In 2016, he obtained the majority of his 2,750 points via solid showings at premier events. Thus, he collected 29 out of his 49 wins at Grand Slams and Masters 1000.<\/p>\n

Goffin possesses a notable attribute in his above-average surface adaptability. On hard, he strung together back-to-back semi-final appearances at Indian Wells and Miami. Later in the spring, he annihilated<\/a> Tomas Berdych on the slow Italian clay without dropping a single game. The Czech, who won just 15 out of 65 points that day, rapidly fired his coach Dani Vallverd\u00fa afterward. On grass, the Rocourt native squandered a two-set lead over eventual runner-up Milos Raonic at Wimbledon\u2019s round of 16.<\/p>\n

At 5\u201911\u2019\u2019, the Belgian has an obvious physical disadvantage. His superb tennis IQ is good enough to dispatch lesser opposition, but he simply lacks an A+ weapon against the top dogs of the circuit, as his lousy 3-9 record against Top 10 foes in 2016 indicates. Barring substantial improvement, he might have reached his ceiling.<\/p>\n

12.\u00a0Jo-Wilfried Tsonga<\/a><\/h2>\n

According to The Tennis Base<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Tsonga\u2019s career winning percentage<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

68.31% (388 Ws \u2013 180 Ls)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tsonga\u2019s 2016 winning percentage<\/td>\n\n

68.52% (37 Ws \u2013 17 Ls)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Statistically speaking, the Le Mans native had an average year by his standard. He is still a fringe Top 10 player. Starting in 2008, he\u2019s finished between No. 6 and No. 13<\/a> in the ATP year-end rankings. Similarly to Stan Wawrinka, Tsonga tends to bring out his best tennis on the big stage.<\/p>\n

The 31-year-old had a mediocre start to the year, but took advantage of a relatively easy path to reach the Australian Open round of 16. After sleepwalking through the South American clay swing, Tsonga only participated in Slams, Masters 1000 and the Olympics for the next eight months. His level was certainly consistent, reaching the semis at Monte Carlo, quarters at Indian Wells, Shanghai and Paris at Masters level. At Roland Garros, the soon-to-be dad picked up an ill-timed injury against Ernest Gulbis in the round of 32. A month later, Tsonga went the distance versus eventual champion Andy Murray at Wimbledon QFs. At the US Open, the Frenchman was again forced to retire when he trailed by two sets to love against Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals as well.<\/p>\n

Tsonga had to wait until late October to reach his lone final of the campaign, dropping in straight sets to Murray in Vienna. While he\u2019s perhaps past his peak, \u2018Ali\u2019 has not shown signs of severely slowing down. Unless his body betrays him, expect Tsonga to remain a force to be reckoned with in 2017.<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n