| Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor |
| Into the Elite but National Team Selection Not Necessarily Automatic |
Photo by: tabletennisphotos.com
|
China’s Zhang Yining and Guo Yue retain the respective top two places on the Women’s World Ranking list published by the International Table Tennis Federation on Wednesday 4th November 2009.
No doubt when selecting the players for national representation, those two names would be the first to be listed on the team sheet.
However, which name would be the next to be added. Increasingly, the name at the sharp end of the pencil is that of 18 year old Liu Shiwen and that fact is endorsed in the new female global rankings. |
|
Runners up spot in England for Liu Shiwen and third place on the newly published rankings |
New Heights
She moves from no.4 to no.3, changing places with Li Xiaoxia to enjoy a career high ranking; her previous best being no.4, a place to which she was elevated earlier this year in July and has never relinquished.
A new status for Liu Shiwen and also for Singapore’s Feng Tianwei; she climbs two places to no.5 and like Liu Shiwen, enjoys a new high.
The result is that despite emerging victorious in the Women’s Singles event at the English Open, China’s Guo Yan drops one place to no.6 with her now retired compatriot, Wang Nan, also falling one place. She is now at no.7.
No Change
Changes but immediately below Wang Nan there is no change; Korea’s Kim Kyung Ah retains the no.8 spot whilst China’s Ding Ning is still at no.9 and Hong Kong’s Jiang Huajun at no.10.
Spanish Delight
New highs for Asian players and also for Europe; Spain’s Sara Ramirez enters the top one hundred for the first time.
she appears at no.89, a direct result of her efforts at the English Open where she beat Japan’s Reiko Hiura and Li Jie of the Netherlands before extending Singapore’s Wang Yue Gu the full seven games distance.
More Positives for Europe
A positive sign for Europe and there are more positives on the newly publish female list.
Still Going Strong
Austria’s Liu Jia advances three places to no.13, Hungary’s Georgina Pota moves from no.61 to no.53, Denmark’s Mie Skov climbs from no.91 to no.85; whilst Elena Timina advances from no.98 to no.91.
The former Russian international, now representing the Netherlands, is surely the one player remaining in the top one hundred of the women’s list who held a world ranking before computers were first used in October 1991 to determine the order of merit?
Asians Advance
Progress for Europeans and there is also progress for Asian players, who in the early part of 2009 did not enjoy the best of fortunes and slipped down the rankings.
Hong Kong’s Tie Yana moves from no.18 to no.15 whilst Japan’s Fukuhara climbs from no.25 to no.21.
Certainly a move in the right direction for Tie Yana and Ai Fukuhara and also for the latter’s compatriot Kasumi Ishiklawa. She now possesses her best ever ranking of no.59 having been previously listed at no.65.
Milestone
A milestone for Kasumi Ishikawa and it is welcome back for China’s Chang Chenchen and Japan’s An Konishi; both recently forfeited their world rankings owing to a lack of international appearances.
However, both were present at the English Open and now both return. Chang Chenchen appears at no.36 with An Konishi at no.93.
Almost the Same
Meanwhile, in the age group listings it is almost, as you where, amongst the top three.
The one change is in the Under 21 Women’s Rankings where Guo Yue retains top spot but Liu Shiwen and Li Xiaoxia change places; Liu Shiwen is now at no.2 with Li Xiaoxia at no.3.
No Movements
However, the Under 18 Girls’ Rankings see no movements at the top. Liu Shiwen occupies the no.1 place followed by compatriot Wu Yang with Ukraine’s Margaryta Pesotska at no.3.
Top place for China on the Under 21 and Under 18 female listings but that is not the situation on the Under 15 Girls’ Rankings. Korea’s Yang Ha Eun is at no.1 followed by China’s Chen Meng and Japan’s Ayuka Tanioka. |
|
|