Sunday, February 1, 2009

Sanyaku Ranks after the Australian Open 2009

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The Sekiwake (= Junior Champions I) Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva get promoted to Ozeki (= Champion), as a result of their consistent strong performances at the recent grand slam tournaments. For Dementieva this is a re-promotion to the rank she already held briefly in early 2005; but Safina becomes an Ozeki for the first time and is the 29th female Ozeki of the open era.

Other notable promotions are: former Ozeki Andy Roddick moves from Komusubi (= Junior Champion II) up to Sekiwake; while Fernando Verdasco, Juan Martin del Potro and Vera Zvonareva earn the first sanyaku (= championship) ranks of their careers at Komusubi. By contrast Andy Murray, Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic (a former Ozeki) lose Sekiwake rank and drop to Komusubi. Maria Sharapova (a long-time former Ozeki) and Patty Schnyder fall out of the sanyaku ranks alltogether.

The Yokozuna (= Grand Champions) -- Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena and Venus Williams -- keep their ranks, of course, as these are for life; Novak Djokovic remains Ozeki.

The full post 2009 Australian Open statisitcs, inclucing the complete new sankyaku line-up and the quarterfinal-through-final results, are published here.

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