TIMES’ TENNIS RANKINGS

Lisa Dillman’s top 10 rankings and comments for men and women. The number in parentheses under each player is the ranking by the men’s tour, the ATP’s Entry System, and the WTA, the women’s tour.

WOMEN

1. Venus Williams (4): By the numbers: Three more Slams than Serena, one more than Davenport and one shy of Hingis.

2. Serena Williams (7: Won ’99 U.S. Open in seventh Grand Slam appearance. One Slam final in last seven since.

3. Jennifer Capriati (2): Our nominee for comeback player of the year. Again.

4. Lindsay Davenport (3): Quarterfinal against Serena was best match of the final three rounds at the Open.

5. Monica Seles (9): Good news: One sub-par match last three months. Bad news: Match was vs. Bedanova in N.Y.

6. Martina Hingis (1): Passive resistance: Open semifinal against S. Williams really nothing to write about.

7. Jelena Dokic (11): Globetrotter lands in two finals in one week. Finalist in Brazil and winner in Tokyo.

8. Kim Clijsters (5): Unable to reach a final since winning at Stanford in July against Davenport.

9. Justine Henin (8): Vanished after one strong set in fourth round against S. Williams at Open.

10. Meghann Shaughnessy (12): Most improved American player not named Capriati. Reached third final of 2001.

MEN

1. Lleyton Hewitt (3): World victory tour in 2001 winds through Brazil, New York and, last but not least, Sydney.

2. Pete Sampras (10): Gas gauge hits empty after stirring wins against Rafter, Agassi and Safin.

3. Andre Agassi (2): Shanghai Surprise. Loses in first round to Labadze of Georgia. No, not that Georgia.

4. Marat Safin (7): Now that he has that cumbersome U.S. Open burden off his back ...

5. Yevgeny Kafelnikov (6): Loses to Safin at Tashkent, Uzbekistan in first all-Russian final since 1994.

6. Gustavo Kuerten (1): Like a fragile flower, he wilted on the hard courts after all those weeks in the hot sun.

7. Patrick Rafter (4): Five sets once his specialty, not shortcoming. No matter--this time--in Davis Cup.

8. Tommy Haas (14): Last German standing at U.S. Open after Becker withdrew against McEnroe.

9. Andy Roddick (15): Overrules in the fifth set at Open are like calling a penalty late in the third period in NHL playoffs.

10. Britain: Repeat after me: Clay is your friend. Rusedski, Henman find sweet revenge against Ecuador.