World No 1 Djokovic Leads Serbia's Rise in Tennis

Doha/New York, December 18 (QNA) - ATP Tour's men's singles year-end rankings reaffirm Serbia's rise in international tennis over the last few years with two players figuring in the top ten rankings. Novak Djokovic who opened the 2012 season by beating Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final, tops the list with 12,920 points. His country mate Janko Tipsarevic, who had an impressive junior career with a highest ranking of No.2 in 2001, is placed ninth with 2,990 points. Serbia's rise coincides with the decline of players from US. The highest ranked American is John Isner at 14 position with 2,215 points. Spain has four in the top 25, France has three, Germany and US have two each. At number two is Swiss ace Roger Federer who had an inauspicious start to the season as he had to pull out of Qatar Open semi-final against Wilfried Tsonga due to injury; only the second time in his 15-year career which testifies his super fitness. By his high standards Federer had an low-key year. He won only one Grand Slam in 2012 when he beat Britain's Andy Murray in the Wimbledon final to win a record-equalling seventh title. Murray avenge that loss when he beat him in the London Olympics semi-final. This year has been great for Murray who won his first Grand Slam when he beat Djokovic in the US Open final, on the day Fred Perry won his first Grand Slam title in 1933. Murray's victory ended Britain's 76-year wait for a male champion. Federer regained world No. 1 ranking on July 9 when he qualified for the Barclays ATP World Tour Final and seven days later became No. 1 for the 287th week to break the 286-week record held by Pete Sampras of USA. Next month, on August 19, Federer defeated Djokovic, with whom he has played musical chairs this year for the No.1 rank, won to win his 21st ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at Cincinnati. Federer could not maintain his form as he bowed out of the US Open quarter-finals, losing to Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych who finishes the year at number six spot with 4,680 points. With 12,920 points from six titles, a 75-12 win-loss report card and US $ 12.8 Million prize-money in 2012 Djokovic clearly stands far ahead of the top-ten pack. The Serb closed the year winning his second Barclays ATP World Tour Finals trophy on November 12. beating Federer in the final. Serbians rise in international tennis dates back to the 1980s when Slobodan Zivojinovic stunned fans with his booming serves. Although he then competed under Yugoslavia flag, he created quite a stir when he reached two Grand Slam semi-finals as an unseeded player. He upset the iconic John McEnroe in a marathon five-set quarter-final at the Australian Open in 1985. Drained by the exertion, Zivojinovic lost in straight sets to Mats Wilander in the semi-final. The following year at the Wimbledon semi-final, he stretched Ivan Lendl to five sets before bowing out. Serbia's women tennis players are also among the top, led by former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic and Bojana Jovanovski. Ivanovic, who bowed out of Qatar Total Open in the second round in February this year, has been handicapped by injuries this season. This has seen her ranking drop to 13 while Jankovic is 22nd and Jovanovski is 56th. ATP men's international 2012 year-end tennis rankings and points:- 1. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 12,920. 2. Roger Federer (Switzerland) 10,265. 3. Andy Murray (Great Britain) 8,000. 4. Rafael Nadal (Spain) 6,690. 5. David Ferrer (Spain) 6,505. 6. Tomas Berydch (Czech Republic) 4,680. 7. Juan Martin Del Porto (Argentina) 4,480. 8. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 3,490. 9. Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) 2,990. 10. Richard Gasquet (France) 2,515. (QNA)