A table of four

Djokovic, the world No. 1 Federer, Murray and Nadal have confirmed their hegemony by sharing all the headlines of the 2012 season. But one of the Masters 1000 Paris-Bercy, fell into the hands of Ferrer. On the French side, two of them (Tsonga and Gasquet) finished the year in the top 10. Here is the balance sheet of writing.
The Big Four are sharing the cakeThe four Grand Slam tournaments were won by four different players this season. He had to go back to 2003 to find evidence of such a sharing of wealth (Agassi at the Australian Open, Ferrero at Roland Garros, Wimbledon Federer and Roddick at the U.S. Open). After three distinct eras - Federer (2004-07), Federer-Nadal (2008-10) and Djokovic (2011) - The 2012 season was marked by the installation of Andy Murray at the table this gargantuan banquet. The British gold medalist in the Olympics and won his first Major at the U.S. Open, has finally taken the plunge. Novak Djokovic, World No. 1 for the second consecutive year, has established itself as the real boss of the circuit (Australian Open, Masters, Masters 1000 and three Grand Slam finals two). Federer has fulfilled its objectives, namely to win a big title (Wimbledon) and return the first place world record which he has added three Masters 1000. Nadal, in half a season, won his seventh French Open and two Masters 1000 clay court.Few crumbs for otherIf the top four players in the world are sharing the cake, the rest of the board had to settle for a few crumbs dropped by here and there. David Ferrer has won his first Masters 1000 Paris-Bercy, in a tournament neglected by the big boys, while Tomas Berdych raised the Davis Cup in the Czech Republic. Grand Slam finals have not escaped the Big Four, which left only four places vacant semi-finalists in sixteen (Ferrer at Roland Garros and the U.S. Open, Tsonga Berdych at Wimbledon and at the U.S. Open). For the hungry circuit unearth a bone, he must turn to the eleven ATP 500 events calendar, seven of which have escaped the first four ranking: Memphis (Melzer), Acapulco (Ferrer), Hamburg (Monaco) Washington (Dolgopolov), Tokyo (Nishikori), Basel (Del Potro) and Valencia (Ferrer).Two French in the top 10For the third time since the beginning of the Open era in 1968, two French Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet, finished the season in the top 10 (after Noah-Leconte in 1986 and Tsonga, Simon 2008). For Manceau, is a fourth year completed in this closed after 2008, 2009 and 2011, proof of regularity at the highest level. No. 1 tricolor also won two titles (Doha and Metz), achieved his best career at Roland Garros (quarterfinals) and reaches a second time the last four at Wimbledon. Gasquet, he has imposed in Bangkok and played a Masters final in 1000 (Toronto). He also offered his "Little Slam" to him, namely to reach the 8th finals in four major tournaments of the season. Gilles Simon, 16, is the only other French who raised a trophy in 2012 (Bucharest). In 2012, the Blues have won four titles so for nine finals lost, knowing that two of them have proposed a tricolor displays 100% (Doha and Bangkok).Always so hard to breakEarly in the season, the writing had targeted some young players capable of doing their holes on the circuit in 2012. But at the time of their study results, one thing is clear: it is hard to find a place among the best. Milos Raonic is one that is best left. The Canadiens won two titles (Chennai and San Jose) and played two finals (Memphis and Tokyo). He also reached the 8th finals at the U.S. Open, his best Grand Slam result to finally finish the season in 13th place (18). Kei Nishikori, he won only six seats (19e), but the Japanese has risen in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and won at his home in Tokyo. The undeniable talent Grigor Dimitrov has not yet allowed to shine (no final round as the second best result in major). Bulgarian 21 years, however, finished the season with its highest ranking (48th). The beginning of the year was promising Bernard Tomic in Brisbane with a half eighth and final in Melbourne. But the Australian of 20 years (52) then lost the thread on the field as well as outside.The former are resistingAndy Roddick, a former world No. 1 and winner of the U.S. Open in 2003, retired after losing to New York in late August. Juan Carlos Ferrero, titrated at Roland Garros in the same year, took a similar path after Valencia. If some thirty leave, others keep a real motivation. This is the case of Tommy Haas, world amazing 21st to 34, winner Roger Federer in the final at Halle and Hamburg finalist in Washington and in the heart of summer. Radek Stepanek of the same generation, won the Czech Republic in Davis Cup.