by Ian Marshall, Editor

Absent from the international scene, forced to withdraw from the Marvellous 12 owing to injury; Ma Long, the player who beat Fan Zhendong in a stunning all-Chinese final two years ago in Düsseldorf, appears at no.12, a list that witnesses no change amongst the leading names.

Colleagues Xu Xin and Lin Gaoyuan remain next in line to Fan Zhendong with Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto at no.4. Germany’s Timo Boll continues at no.5 and Brazil’s Hugo Calderano one place lower. Korea Republic’s Lee Sangsu once again occupies to no.7 spot; he is followed by Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting. Next in line is the Japanese duo of Koki Niwa and Jun Mizutani. They remain ahead of Jang Woojin, like Lee Sangsu from Korea Republic; he maintains the no.11 spot.

Selection for Budapest the goal, if there is one player who has stated his case it is China’s Liang Jingkun.
Winner at the Seamaster 2019 Portugal Open in February, he continues his advance. One year ago he stood at no.118, in May he dropped to no.125; he started November at no.80, later in the month he won at the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Austrian Open and from there it has been unmitigated progress. He started the year at no.20, in February he rose to no.16, now at no.13, he occupies a career high.

Conversely amongst the leading names, it is a drop down the order for Sweden’s Mattias Falck and Germany’s Patrick Franziska; Mattias Falck falls two places to no.13, Patrick Franziska one position to no.15. However, it is the latter’s colleague, Bastian Steger, who experiences the greatest heartache, he drops from no.50 to no.65.

Wednesday 2nd January: Complete World Rankings