(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT)
The China Smash victory last year gives Wang Chuqin 10,900 ranking points, building a buffer of nearly 3,000 points ahead of No. 2 Lin Shidong. Shidong has 8,075 points, a 2,025 buffer between his spot and Hugo Calderano in No. 3. No other position in the Rankings is as safe, as most of the leads from one spot to the next are just a few hundred points – leads that could be overcome in a single event.
After Calderano, is Harimoto in fourth. Felix Lebrun gained two positions to move up to No. 5. The two players who Lebrun passed are Truls Moregard (now No. 6) and Liang Jingkun at No. 7. Benedikt Duda remains the top German player at No. 8. Xiang Peng holds No. 9. And Darko Jorgic rounds out the Top 10 at No. 10.
China, obviously, is the strongest nation right now with four players in the top 10 – including the two top spots. It is interesting to note that right now, they only have four players in the Top 20 and at many points over the last several decades there have been 6 or 7 Chinese players in that top echelon. France, Germany, and Japan all have three players in the Top 20 – and Korea has almost reached that level as Jang Woojin is No. 21 while he has two teammates in the Top 20.
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