by Ian Marshall, Editor
Most significantly for the men, Germany’s Qiu Dang, the winner at the 2020 ITTF Challenge Series Portugal Open, climbs from no.77 to a career high of no.48; his previous best being no.66 last year in August.
Equally making progress as a result of their efforts in Portugal, semi-finalists, the host nation’s João Geraldo and Denmark’s Anders Lind both climb the ladder. João Geraldo moves from no.124 to no.99; Anders Lind from no.50 to no.40.
Likewise, the finalists at the ITTF Challenge Spanish Open gain higher listings. Kazakhstan’s Kirill Gerassimenko, the winner progresses from no.64 to no.50; Germany’s Benedikt Duda, the runner up, from no.39 to no.33.
Higher listings, is the same for Russia’s Alexander Shibaev who moves from no.93 to no.82, as it is for Japan’s Yukiya Uda, the runner up at the 2020 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open. He climbs to a career best of no.40. Previously he was listed at no.50.
New heights, most notably it is the same for Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic, the runner up at the CCB Europe Top 16 and for Egypt’s Ahmed Ali Saleh, the winner at the ITTF Africa Cup. Darko Jorgic moves from no.39 to no.33, Ahmed Ali Saleh from no.85 to no.71.
Significant steps but somewhat overshadowed by Frenchman Alexandre Cassin, Dominican Republic’s Emil Santos and Ukraine’s Yevhen Pryshchepa. Both Alexandre Cassin and Emil Santos climb 51 places; Alexandre Cassin is now at no.155, Emil Santos at no.174; not too far behind for Yevhen Pryshchepa, the runner up at the ITTF Challenge Portugal Open advances 38 place. He is now listed at no.110.
Silver medallist
A silver medal for Darko Jorgic at the CCB 2020 Europe Top 16 Cup, it was the same for Britt Eerland of the Netherlands; she moves from no.47 to no.30 and thus claims her best ever status. Notably, it a situation that also applies to Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz, the winner of the Universal 2020 Pan American Cup. She climbs just one place to no.19.
One step for Adriana Diaz, for Japan’s 14 year old Haruna Ojio the progress is much greater as she secures the highest ranking of her career; she is now at no.102, previously she was listed at no.86.
Similarly, as a result of success at the ITTF Challenge Series Spanish Open, semi-finalists Germany’s Shan Xiaona and Singapore’s Zeng Jian both climb the order. Shan Xiaona moves from no.58 to no.50, Zeng Jian from no.90 to no.82. Further down the list, there is most tangible progress for Spain’s Liu Xin, she climbs from no.236 to no.173; a climb of 61 places; not far behind is Guatemala’s Mabelyn Enriquez and India’s Sutirtha Mukherjee.
Mabelyn Enriquez moves from no.257 to no.196, Sutirtha Mukhrerjee from no.160 to no.196.
Making way
Climbing the ladder, by definition there are those who must make way; notably on the men’s list China’s Sun Wen falls from no.92 to no.104, Australia’s Heming Hu from no.86 to no.95. It is the same most notably for Egypt’s Omar Assar, beaten by Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna at the semi-final stage of the ITTF-Africa Top 16 Cup in Tunis, he drops six places to no.35, one less fall than Russia’s Kirill Skachkov, Slovenia’s Bojan Tokic and Sweden’s Truls Moregard.
Krill Skachkov now appears at no.66, Bojan Tokic at no.67, Truls Moregard at no.105. Likewise it is down the order for Puerto Rico’s Brian Afanador, a quarter-finalist at the Universal ITTF Pan America Cup, he slides from no.84 to no.90.
In a similar vein on the women’s order of merit, China’s Fan Siqi drops from no.96 to no.139, Egypt’s Yousra Helmy from no.80 to no.90. Also it is down the order for Poland, Natalia Bajor drops from no.86 to no.94, Natalia Partyka from no.61 to no.67. Meanwhile, amongst the leading names, Hungary’s Georgina Pota and Stéphanie Loeuillette each descend five places; Georgina Pota is now at no.49, Stéphanie Loeuillette at no.95.