01 Sep 2018

Winner at the recent Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Czech Open, Japan’s Yuto Kizukuri is the new name at the top of the Under 21 Men’s World Rankings published for September; he replaces Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju at the top of the order, the winner the previous week in Bulgaria.

Lin Yun-Ju now appears at no.4, behind Frenchman Joe Seyfried who advances one place. Hong Kong’s Ng Pak Nam is next in line; previously he occupied the no.5 spot.

by Ian Marshall, Editor

Progress for Yuto Kizukuri but the player to make the most significant climb is that of colleague, Yuki Matsuyama, he moves from no.25 to no.10; conversely, also from Japan, Mizuki Oikawa drops from no.2 to no.9.

A new name at the top of the list, on the counterpart Under 21 Women’s World Rankings, it is the same name. China’s Chen Ke continues in pole position ahead of colleagues Zhang Rui and Wang Yidi, the latter the player who beat Chen Ke in the Czech final. It is a climb of three places for Zhang Rui, four for Wang Yidi.

The player to make way is Hong Kong’s Minnie Soo Wai Yam; she drops from no.2 to no.4; the player to make the most prominent climb is Sun Mingyang, also from China. She advances from no.16 to no.6.

Meanwhile, the name at the head of the Under 18 Boys’ World Rankings remains the same as in August. Kanak Jha continues to lead. He is ahead of China’s Xu Haidong, India’s Manav Vikash Thakkar and Sweden’s Truls Moregard. Previously, Xu Haidong was one place lower; Manav Vikash Thakkar occupied the no.5 spot with Truls Moregard in the no.2 position.

Undoubtedly, the player to note is China’s Xiang Peng, the winner of the Junior Boys’ Singles title at the Asian Junior and Cadet Championships in Myanmar. He advances from no.23 to no.7, furthermore he maintains top spot on the Under 15 Boys’ World Rankings; a list in which the names at top of the order remain the same. Colleague Kuang Li is in immediate pursuit followed by Panama’s Jacobo Vahnish and Poland’s Maciej Kubik,

The status quo but on the Under 15 Boys’ World Rankings but there is a meteoric climber; winner of the Cadet Boys’ Singles event at the Asian Junior and Cadet Championships, China’s Zeng Beixun advances from no.86 to no.9.

Similarly on the Under 18 Girls’ World Rankings, the top names are unchanged; China’s Shi Xunyao and Qian Tianyi continue to occupy the respective top two places ahead of Chinese Taipei’s Su Pei-Ling. She climbs two places and is ahead of Serbia’s Sabina Surjan who is now one position lower. The most notable progress is that made by Tsai Yu-Chin, the runner up on the ITTF World Junior Circuit in August in both El Salvador and on home soil in Chinese Taipei.

A name to note but if there is one name that attracted the attention in August it is that of the Korea Republic’s Byun Seoyoung. The winner of both the Junior Girls’ Singles and Cadet Girls’ Singles titles in Chinese Taipei, having in the latter event been a semi-finalist in Myanmar; on the Under 15 Girls’ World Rankings, she makes the quite incredible climb from no.95 to no.9.

China’s Chen Yi occupies top spot, changing places with Romania’s Elena Zaharia who is now in the no.2 position; Russia’s Elizabet Abraamian remains at no.3 with Kuai Man, moving from no.22 to no.4.

At the Asian Junior and Cadet Championships, Kuai Man beat Chen Yi in the Cadet Girls’ Singles final.

Saturday 1st September: Latest World Rankings

World Ranking Yuto Kizukuri