by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager
Immediately below, compatriot Miu Hirano remains at no.6, on a list that witnesses a host of changes amongst the elite names.
Next in the order of merit appears Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching and China’s Chen Xingtong; each climb one place but for the immediately ensuing name it is a major fall. Singapore’s Feng Tianwei drops from no.4 to no.9, being one place ahead of China’s Liu Shiwen who remains in the no.10 spot.
Moving down the order for Feng Tianwei, it is the very opposite for Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem, she moves from no.17 to no.11; similarly there is progress for Japan’s Hitomi Sato, formerly at no.13, she changes places with Korea’s Suh Hyowon and now completes the top 12 names.
One place higher for Hitomi Sato, it is the same for China’s Sun Yingsha who appears at no.14 but the most significant movement amongst the elite names is that of colleague Ding Ning, the reigning Olympic and World champion. She drops from no.11 to no.16.
Conversely, amongst the elite names, there is noteworthy progress for Japan’s Hina Hayata, Austria’s Sofia Polcanova and Romania’s Elizabeta Samara. Hina Hayata advances from no.18 to no.15, Sofia Polcanova from no.21 to no.17 and Elizabeta Samara from no.25 to no.18.
Notable progress, further down the order the progress is even greater. Turkey’s Hu Melek climbs from no.67 to no.46, Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi from no.89 to no.65 and Wu Yue of the United States from no.122 to no.72. Likewise, there is progress for Spain’s Galia Dvorak, Stéphanie Loeuillette of France, Austria’s Amelie Solja and Serbia Andrea Todorovic.
Galia Dvorak advances from no.103 to no.83, Stéphanie Loeuillette from no.109 to no.87; meanwhile having been previously at no.188 Amelie Solja makes the quite staggering rise to no.83. Formerly at no.124, Andrea Todorovic is now at no.100.
Progress but there is one most noteworthy name moving in the opposite direction; Korea’s Kim Kyungah, bronze medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, drops from no.64 to no.92.
May 2018: World Rankings