Go Figure: Del Potro rises up the ranks

Juan Martin del Potro is on the verge of returning to the top 10. (Georg Hochmuth/EPA)

Some numbers from around the tennis world:

474: Spots that Juan Martin del Potro has climbed in the rankings since bottoming out at No. 485 on Jan. 31. Regaining his form after missing eight months last year with a wrist injury, the Argentine is up to No. 11. Del Potro will finish his year playing in the Davis Cup final at Spain on Dec. 2-4.

162: Spots that 21-year-old Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania climbed in the rankings since the start of 2011. The WTA Newcomer of the Year went from 202nd to 40th.

10: Years since Andy Roddick finished a season outside the top 10. Roddick is ranked 14th, the same position he held in the year-end rankings in 2001. He was 10th in '02, first in '03, second in '04, third in '05, sixth in '06 and '07, eighth in '08, seventh in '09 and eighth in '10.

103: Venus Williams' ranking. She will play an exhibition match against her sister Serena on Wednesday in Colombia, her first match since withdrawing from the U.S. Open after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Venus, 31, is scheduled to return to the WTA Tour in January.

8-3: Novak Djokovic's record this year when losing the first set, the only ATP player with a winning mark in such situations.

83: Main-draw matches for Marion Bartoli this year, a WTA high and three more than Caroline Wozniacki, who had five more victories than the Frenchwoman (63-58).

12: Consecutive victories for Petra Kvitova, tied with Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams for the longest streak on Tour this year.

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