Well, here it is...a tradition started by Jacqueline Dupree (JD--the stat queen) back in 1990. So that would make this the 10th annual "Time To Get a Day Job Awards." This "honors" those players who have been KO'd in the first round (or second round if they received a first round bye) of tournaments on the ATP Tour (not qualies or challengers). It is sorted in two ways: By number of first round losses and then by percentage to total tournaments played. This list is courtesy of Jens Barthelmes from Joe's ATP Tour Statistics (what, you think I compiled this myself? :-) ).
The grand prize winners are Jan Kroslak for most first round losses (18) and the retiring Carlos Costa for highest percentage of first round losses, losing in 9 of 10 matches this year (probably a major contributing factor to his retirement!). Despite losing in the first round in 18 of his 26 ATP level tournaments, Jan Kroslak of Slovakia finished the year ranked #103. There were high hopes for the young Kroslak but maybe he will turn things around this year.
Also near the top of the frequency list is Rainer Schuttler who seems to only do well at the first tournament of the year in Doha! Near the top in the percentage category is Thomas Muster, who lost 7 of the 10 opening matches he played this year. This is another case where it might have led a player to retirement (maybe they really did get a day job!). Noticeably missing from the list is Yevgeny Kafelnikov who most people felt lost in the first round way too much. Kafelnikov fans will be relieved he did not make these honors.
For previous years' awards:
1998
1997
1996 (JD)
1995 (JD)
1994 (JD)
1999 Time To Get A Day Job Awards
Number of first round losses:
First Total
Round Tourn.
Player Country Losses Played* Percentage
----------------------- ------- ------ ------ ----------
1 Kroslak, Jan SLK 18 26 0.6923
2 Schuttler, Rainer GER 17 29 0.5862
3 Sanguinetti, Davide ITA 16 23 0.6957
4 Di Pasquale, Arnaud FRA 16 26 0.6154
5 Zabaleta, Mariano ARG 16 28 0.5714
6 Siemerink, Jan NED 15 24 0.6250
7 Rosset, Marc SUI 15 28 0.5357
8 Vicente, Fernando ESP 15 29 0.5172
9 Rodriguez, Martin ARG 14 19 0.7368
10 Ulihrach, Bohdan CZE 14 21 0.6667
11 Johansson, Thomas SWE 14 23 0.6087
12 Squillari, Franco ARG 14 25 0.5600
13 Pozzi, Gianluca ITA 14 26 0.5385
14 Gimelstob, Justin USA 14 26 0.5385
15 Puerta, Mariano ARG 14 26 0.5385
16 Pioline, Cedric FRA 14 28 0.5000
17 Vacek, Daniel CZE 14 30 0.4667
18 Delgado, Ramon PAR 13 21 0.6190
19 Voinea, Adrian ROM 13 22 0.5909
20 Tarango, Jeff USA 13 24 0.5417
21 Spadea, Vince USA 13 25 0.5200
22 Schalken, Sjeng NED 13 26 0.5000
23 Safin, Marat RUS 13 30 0.4333
24 Woodforde, Mark AUS 12 19 0.6316
25 Berasategui, Alberto ESP 12 20 0.6000
26 Blanco, Galo ESP 12 20 0.6000
27 Tieleman, Laurence ITA 12 21 0.5714
28 Canas, Guillermo ARG 12 21 0.5714
29 Marin, Juan-Antonio CRC 12 22 0.5455
30 Black, Byron ZIM 12 24 0.5000
31 Koubek, Stefan AUT 12 25 0.4800
32 Draper, Scott AUS 11 17 0.6471
33 Raoux, Guillaume FRA 11 18 0.6111
34 Clement, Arnaud FRA 11 24 0.4583
35 Ivanisevic, Goran CRO 11 25 0.4400
36 Norman, Magnus SWE 11 25 0.4400
37 Arazi, Hicham MAR 11 27 0.4074
38 Hrbaty, Dominik SLK 11 27 0.4074
39 Ilie, Andrew AUS 11 28 0.3929
40 Woodbridge, Todd AUS 10 16 0.6250
41 Damm, Martin CZE 10 16 0.6250
42 Portas, Alberto ESP 10 17 0.5882
43 Lareau, Sebastien CAN 10 18 0.5556
44 Tillstrom, Mikael SWE 10 18 0.5556
45 Gustafsson, Magnus SWE 10 19 0.5263
46 Prinosil, David GER 10 22 0.4545
47 van Lottum, John NED 10 22 0.4545
48 Grosjean, Sebastien FRA 10 24 0.4167
49 Clavet, Francisco ESP 10 26 0.3846
50 Gambill, Jan USA 10 26 0.3846
*minimum 10 tournaments
Percentage of first round losses to total number of tournaments played:
First Total
Round Tourn.
Player Country Losses Played* Percentage
----------------------- ------- ------ ------ ----------
1 Costa, Carlos ESP 9 10 0.9000
2 Rodriguez, Martin ARG 14 19 0.7368
3 Filippini, Marcelo URU 8 11 0.7273
4 Muster, Thomas AUT 7 10 0.7000
5 Sanguinetti, Davide ITA 16 23 0.6957
6 Santopadre, Vincenzo ITA 9 13 0.6923
7 Kohlmann, Michael GER 9 13 0.6923
8 Kroslak, Jan SLK 18 26 0.6923
9 Ulihrach, Bohdan CZE 14 21 0.6667
10 Draper, Scott AUS 11 17 0.6471
11 Haarhuis, Paul NED 9 14 0.6429
12 Woodforde, Mark AUS 12 19 0.6316
13 Woodbridge, Todd AUS 10 16 0.6250
14 Damm, Martin CZE 10 16 0.6250
15 Siemerink, Jan NED 15 24 0.6250
16 Delgado, Ramon PAR 13 21 0.6190
17 Gross, Oliver GER 8 13 0.6154
18 Di Pasquale, Arnaud FRA 16 26 0.6154
19 Raoux, Guillaume FRA 11 18 0.6111
20 Johansson, Thomas SWE 14 23 0.6087
21 Dreekmann, Hendrik GER 9 15 0.6000
22 Black, Wayne ZIM 9 15 0.6000
23 Wessels, Peter NED 9 15 0.6000
24 Berasategui, Alberto ESP 12 20 0.6000
25 Blanco, Galo ESP 12 20 0.6000
26 Voinea, Adrian ROM 13 22 0.5909
27 Portas, Alberto ESP 10 17 0.5882
28 Schuttler, Rainer GER 17 29 0.5862
29 Korda, Petr CZE 7 12 0.5833
30 Gaudenzi, Andrea ITA 8 14 0.5714
31 Tieleman, Laurence ITA 12 21 0.5714
32 Canas, Guillermo ARG 12 21 0.5714
33 Zabaleta, Mariano ARG 16 28 0.5714
34 Squillari, Franco ARG 14 25 0.5600
35 Lareau, Sebastien CAN 10 18 0.5556
36 Tillstrom, Mikael SWE 10 18 0.5556
37 Alonso, Julian ESP 6 11 0.5455
38 Marin, Juan Antonio CRC 12 22 0.5455
39 Tarango, Jeff USA 13 24 0.5417
40 Pozzi, Gianluca ITA 14 26 0.5385
41 Gimelstob, Justin USA 14 26 0.5385
42 Puerta, Mariano ARG 14 26 0.5385
43 Rosset, Marc SUI 15 28 0.5357
44 Gustafsson, Magnus SWE 10 19 0.5263
45 Spadea, Vince USA 13 25 0.5200
46 Vicente, Fernando ESP 15 29 0.5172
47 Federer, Roger SUI 7 14 0.5000
48 Gaudio, Gaston ARG 7 14 0.5000
49 Black, Byron ZIM 12 24 0.5000
50 Schalken, Sjeng NED 13 26 0.5000
51 Pioline, Cedric FRA 14 28 0.5000
*minimum 10 tournaments
compiled by Jens Barthelmes (Joe's ATP Tour Statistics)