Jarkko Nieminen reaches new high on ATP lists

Jarkko Nieminen

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Finland's tennis No.1 Jarkko Nieminen moved up two places in the latest ATP entry list rankings and is now ranked 22nd in the world. This is his highest-ever showing amongst the professionals on the tennis circuit.
      The entry list system takes performances over the previous 12 months, in such a way that each week the player simultaneously picks up points for his last campaign and loses those points gained one year previously. Nieminen gathered a few extra points this time for reaching the third round of the ATP Master tournament in Miami, where he eventually fell to James Blake of the United States.
      The rankings do not have only vanity value: by virtue of his current position, Nieminen is guaranteed entry into even the biggest tennis tournaments - such as the French Open or Wimbledon - without having to qualify, and he is also likely to be among the seeded players, thereby giving him a chance to progress further in the tournament before meeting really stiff opposition. In some cases, seeded players also receive a bye in the first round of tournaments, bringing an automatic windfall of a few additional ATP points.
     
The 24-year-old left-hander from Masku is also still ranked 9th in the ATP Champions Race. This table is based only on results in the calendar year, and Nieminen's high position here is due to the bright start he has made in 2006.
      He won his first-ever ATP title in Auckland in January, and reached the semi-finals in Rotterdam and the quarter-finals at an earlier ATP Masters event in Indian Wells, California. The real significance of the Champions Race is that at the end of the season the highest-ranked players gain entry to a lucrative invitational tournament.
      Nieminen, whose record so far this year is 17 wins and seven defeats in singles play, will next be in action in Finland's Davis Cup match against Ireland in the Europe/Africa Zone Group II match to be played from April 7th to 9th in Helsinki.
      Thereafter, the ATP circuit picks up once more, with several tournaments on clay, which is a surface Nieminen has previously shown a liking for.
     
The ATP tables are led imperiously by Roger Federer of Switzerland, who further strengthened his hold on the men's game at the weekend with victory in the ATP Masters in Miami.
      Federer has played 29 matches this season so far, with only one defeat among them. He has won four large titles, including the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam event of the year.


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