by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
First place once again for Ma Long, it is the same for the next two names in the order of merit. Also from China, Fan Zhendong remains at no.2, Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov at no.3.
No change but two names once again appear on the rankings; both from China, Xu Xin returns at no.4, Zhang Jike at no.9. The effect is that Germany’s Timo Boll drops one place to no.5, a situation which applies also to China’s Lin Gaoyuan and Japan’s Jun Mizutani. Lin Gaoyuan is now at no.6, Jun Mizutani at no.7.
One place lower for Jun Mizutani, for colleague Koki Niwa, it is three places lower, he falls from no.5 to no.8; likewise there are significant drops for Korea’s Lee Sangsu, Frenchman Simon Gauzy and China’s Fang Bo. Notably, Lee Sangsu descends from no.10 to no.13, Simon Gauzy from no.8 to no.11 and China’s Fang Bo from no.10 to no.12.
Similarly, it is a downward move for both Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chih-Yuan and Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting; both fall two places. Chuang Chih-Yuan is now at no.12, Wong Chun Ting at no.14.
Lower rankings, lower down the order for several names there is major progress.
China’s Zhou Yu advances from no.42 to no.20, whilst Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna assumes the mantle of the top African. He climbs from no.26 to no.21 and replaces Egypt’s Omar Assar, as he continent’s leading name. Omar Assar falls from no.20 to no.26.
Progress, it is the same from China’s Xue Fei who climbs from no.79 to no.50 and Kazakhstan’s Kirill Gerassimenko who advances from no.98 to no.80; also, Japan’s Kazuhiro Yoshimura moves from no.85 to no.67 and India’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran from no.88 to no.68. In a similar vein, Denmark’s Zhai Yujia climbs from no.124 to no.90, Hong Kong’s Lam Siu Hang from no.104 to no.91; additionally Sweden’s Jens Lundqvist moves from no.112 to no.95 and Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic from no.120 to no.95.
Higher rankings and there are prominent names who return to the listings; the Korean trio of Jeoung Youngsik, Kim Donghyun and Kim Minseok all return. Jeoung Youngsik is at no.35, Kim Donghyun at no.55 and Kim Minseok at no.84; also China’s Yu Ziyang reappears at no.72.
Progress and there are those who descend the order. Significantly, Brazil’s Hugo Calderano drops from no.18 to no.31, Sweden’s Mattias Karlsson from no.24 to no.38 and Singapore’s Gao Ning from no.43 to no.57.
Additionally, India’s Sharath Kamal Achanta falls from no.45 to no.62 and Korea’s Cho Seungmin from no.62 to no.81.
Meanwhile, on the Under 21 Men’s World Rankings and on the Under 18 Boys’ World Rankings, the leading names remain the same; on the former Fan Zhendong heads the list ahead of Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto and Hugo Calderano; on the latter Tomokazu Harimoto remains ahead of China’s Xue Fei and colleague Yuto Kizukuri.
First place for Tomokazu Harimoto on the Under 18 Boys’ World Rankings, it is the same on the Under 15 Boys’ World Rankings.
He is listed ahead of China’s Niu Guankai with Sweden’s Truls Moregard now in the no.3 spot, he climbs two places; Korea’s Cho Daeseong enters at no.4 with Russia’s Vladimir Sidorenko dropping two places. He is now in the no.5 spot.
November 2017: Latest World Rankings