Top 10 Rivalries

A look at the top 10 in the rankings makes for interest:
There is a top one: Nadal with over 12000 pts
Then Federer and Djokovic seem to be contesting the number 2 spot at around 8000 pts.
Next Soderling and Murray are slogging it out for number 4 at around 6000 pts.
Ferrer & Berdych are tightly contesting number 6 at aroung 4500
Roddick straddles between these two and a contest for number 9 between Verdasco and Melzer on about 3000.
Has the top 10 ever been spread out over so many rankings points with such distinct groupings?

If you take the positions this time five years ago you can see that Federer and Nadal are out front with the rest fairly close right back to No.20

1 Federer, Roger (SUI) 7,025
2 Nadal, Rafael (ESP) 4,615
3 Roddick, Andy (USA) 2,685
4 Nalbandian, David (ARG) 2,560
5 Ljubicic, Ivan (CRO) 2,395
6 Davydenko, Nikolay (RUS) 2,355
7 Coria, Guillermo (ARG) 2,100
8 Agassi, Andre (USA) 2,025
9 Gaudio, Gaston (ARG) 1,950
10 Hewitt, Lleyton (AUS) 1,785
11 Ferrer, David (ESP) 1,730
12 Kiefer, Nicolas (GER) 1,660
13 Johansson, Thomas (SWE) 1,590
14 Robredo, Tommy (ESP) 1,565
15 Gonzalez, Fernando (CHI) 1,540
16 Ferrero, Juan Carlos (ESP) 1,535
17 Gasquet, Richard (FRA) 1,526
18 Ginepri, Robby (USA) 1,465
19 Hrbaty, Dominik (SVK) 1,440
20 Blake, James (USA) 1,430

Go back (this time) ten years and you get the following:

1 Kuerten, Gustavo (BRA)4,365
2 Safin, Marat (RUS) 4,265
3 Sampras, Pete (USA) 3,090
4 Agassi, Andre (USA) 2,765
5 Norman, Magnus (SWE)2,755
6 Hewitt, Lleyton (AUS) 2,485
7 Kafelnikov, Yevgeny (RUS)2,485
8 Corretja, Alex (ESP) 2,425
9 Enqvist, Thomas (SWE) 2,090
10 Henman, Tim (GBR) 2,020
11 Rafter, Patrick (AUS) 1,985
12 Clement, Arnaud (FRA) 1,920
13 Philippoussis, Mark (AUS)1,785
14 Grosjean, Sebastien (FRA)1,760
15 Hrbaty, Dominik (SVK) 1,755 -
16 Ferrero, Juan Carlos (ESP)1,645
17 Ferreira, Wayne (RSA) 1,585
18 Squillari, Franco (ARG) 1,498
19 Pioline, Cedric (FRA) 1,290
20 Federer, Roger (SUI) 1,250

well done Dominik Hrbaty. Great little player

I was really hoping this was about tennis all time rivalries.

I used to love the rivalry between Bjorg, McEnroe and Connors - thats when I loved tennis.

I just dont feel that the top guys now have anywhere near as much character - but then again, I guess thats down to the amount of money involved these days.