(by Steve Hopkins, photo ITTFWorld)
After 142 weeks atop the World Rankings, Fan Zhendong has fallen to second place. Wang Chuqin is the new Number 1, but for how long? Chuqin and Zhendong are separated by only 210 points and the are set to face off in the Final of the WTT Star Contender in Ljubljana tomorrow. The winner will accumulate enough points to hold (or reclaim) the Number 1 position.
As noted above, at the top of the rankings Chuqin and Zhendong have traded No. 1 and No. 2 positions. Ma Long remains in third place and Tomokazu Harimoto holds fourth place. Every other position in the Top 10 has changed – with Calderano up a spot to No. 5, then Lin Gaoyuan up one place to No. 6, and Liang Jingkun dropping two spots to No. 7. Both Jang Woojin and Darko Jorgic are now in the Top 10 with each moving up five spots to Nos. 8 and 9. And closing out the Top 10 is Lin Yun-Ju. Moregard, Ovtcharov, Qiu, and Johngoon are all outside of the Top 10 at 11, 12, 14, and 15 respectively. Lin Shidong continues to move up the rankings – jumping to No. 13. Both Alexis Lebrun and brother Felix Lebrun have ridden their European Games success to No. 16 and No. 17. The last of the Top 20 are Aruna, Franziska, and Chuang.
Much less movement on the Women’s side as the Top 8 from last week all remain in the Top 8. The only change is that Wang Yidi has jumped up from fourth to second (but the top six spots are still held by China: Sun Yingsha, Wang Yidi, Chen Meng, Wang Manyu, Chen Xingtong, Qian Tianyi). Mima Ito and Hina Hayata of Japan are Nos. 7 and 8. Shin Yubin of Korea is in the Top 10 for the first time at ninth position, and Ying Han of Germany is No. 10. Adriana Diaz is No. 13, and USA’s Lily Zhang is No. 26.
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