ITTF Rankings: Fan, Xu, Harimoto Top the First 2019 Rankings
ITTF Rankings: Fan, Xu, Harimoto Top the First 2019 Rankings
(by Steve Hopkins)
Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin maintained their top two spots in the January 2019 ITTF World Rankings. Tomakazu Harimoto has jumped up to third, riding the strength of his Grand Finals win in December. Lin Gaoyuan and Timo Boll round out the Top Five.
Brazil’s Hugo Calderano remains the top player in the Western Hemisphere at No. 6. Japan’s Jun Mizutani has moved up a couple of spots to break the Top. 10 again. China’s Liang Jingkun has jumped from 36 to 20. Dimitrij Ovtcharov has fallen out of the Top 10 – down to No. 13. Sweden’s Mattias Falk is now the second highest ranked European player at No. 13.
Kanak Jha is the top American at No. 51. Nicholas Tio and Nikhil Kumar are the second and third Americans in the rankings. Canada’s Eugene Wang is second in North America at No. 178, with Marko Medjugorac and Jeremy Hazin as the next two highest ranked Canadians. Brian Afanador is the top ranked player in Puerto Rico (No. 120) with Daniel Gonzalez and Ricardo Jimenez second and third.
On the women’s side, the names on the Top 10 list in January are the same as those on the list in December – However, the order is different in two spots on the list. Ding Ning and Zhu Yuling have swapped positions (Ding Ning is now No. 1 and Zhu Yuling is now No. 2). And Liu Shiwen and Wang Manyu have swapped positions as well (Liu is now No. 5 and Wang is now No. 6).
Canada’s Mo Zhang is the top North American player at No. 20. She is followed by five Americans: Jennifer Wu (No.46), Lily Zhang (No. 95), Angela Guan, Xinyue Wang, and Amy Wang. The next two ranked players in Canada are Alicia Cote and Ivy Liao. Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico leads the Latin and South American players with her ranking of No. 33.
No major changes in the world rankings are expected in February as January is a relatively light month on the world tour with just the Hungarian Open on the schedule. But there are 8 events in February including the World Cup and Euro Top 16, and 16 events in March. Overall, there are 135 scheduled ITTF events in 2019. This should be an exciting year.
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The Petr Korbel blade will support Ilius B’s performance due to its moderate bounce. This blade will make drop shots easier with its low trajectory as well as providing high stability when blocking.
The combination with Innerforce Layer ALC.S, which has less bounce, would be also a good choice that brings out the rubber’s main performance qualities.
For players who value chops with wide range of spin
Innershield Layer ZLF is a blade for a chopper that requires less bounce and is recommended for the chopper who seeks a more defensive game.
The racket makes chops and pushes with a wide range of spin easier and will help you to play a safer game leading to your opponents to make more errors.
This is a combination with a 7-plywood blade with a relatively high reaction. The racket makes it possible to create shots with speed, such as punches that bounce deeper in the opponent’s court with less trajectory.
It is a recommendation for the players who aim to achieve a hybrid game of both attack and defense close to the table using various spins and changes of rhythm.
For all-round choppers that play at variable distances
Diode V is a blade for choppers and has high reaction properties. This is recommended for choppers that seek attacking play as well.
It is relatively easy to control the opponent’s ball at mid-distance, and it enables players to create heavy chops with a low trajectory when at a long distance away from the table. The racket performs well during various defensive techniques and during defensive play at a variable distance.
This is a combination with a 7-plywood blade with a relatively high reaction. The racket makes it possible to create shots with speed, such as punches that bounce deeper in the opponent’s court with less trajectory.
It is a recommendation for the players who aim to achieve a hybrid game of both attack and defense close to the table using various spins and changes of rhythm.
Dignics 05 will provide a better sense of holding the ball and adding power if combined with Harimoto Tomokazu Innerforce ALC and Innerforce Layer ALC. The combination will enhance the accuracy of topspin against backspin and counter topspin play close to the table.
Innerforce Layer ZLC
Dignics 05
Powerful play close to the table and from mid-distance
The combination of Innerforce Layer ZLC and Apolonia ZLC is recommended for the player who seeks powerful play close to the table or at a mid-distance. It enables the player to return the opponent’s service using the banana-flick before executing powerful topspin strokes. Both blades possess the sense of holding the ball and releasing the power in a balanced manner.
Lin Gaoyuan ALC
Dignics 05
High-level all-round play
This is a combination with a comparably soft and easy-to-handle blade using Arylate-Carbon, like Lin Gaoyuan ALC, Timo Boll ALC or Viscaria. The blend is suited to players who aspire to use aggressive all-round play from all parts of the playing area.
Hadraw VR
Dignics 05
Powerful play with a feeling of all-wood
Combing Hadraw VR with Dignics 05 realizes both powerful offensive play and rich rotation of the ball generated from all-wood feeling.
Cypress G-MAX
Dignics 05
Powerful play generated by Japanese penhold
Combined with Dignics 05 and Cypress G-MAX, generates more power, the blend is recommended for Japanese penhold players who seek powerful forehand topspin. Dignics 80 for more balance and Dignics 64 for more speed are also recommended.
Zhang Jike Super ZLC
Dignics 80
Play in higher level without weak point
Combing a rubber well-balanced between speed and rotation, Dignics 80, and Super ZL Carbon-equipped racket Zhang Jike Super ZLC guides your play to not only a powerful but also a stable higher level.
Mizutani Jun ZLC
Dignics 80
Smart play at variable distance
Jun Mizutani chooses the combination of Dignics 80 and the desirable bounce blade Mizutani Jun ZLC. As Dignics 80 has an excellent balance between speed and spin, you can easily decide whether to block or counter depending on the speed of the opponent’s ball. This is the combination enabling an offensive counter topspin away from the table, recommended for the player who plays smart at variable distance.
Timo Boll ZLF
Dignics 80
Stable and powerful counter topspin play
The combination of Dignics 80 and Timo Boll ZLF has both good bounce and control and offers reliability thanks to the holding the ball well. This is recommended for an aggressive well-balanced playing style focused on stability.
Timo Boll CAF
Dignics 80
Develop the power
A wide range of players can benefit from Dignics series although its main intended use is for players at intermediate to a high level. The rubber will widen your options by making a powerful stroke possible even though the player is not confident in his/her power play if the stroke movement is short and slow. We recommend the combination with easy-to-use blade Timo Boll CAF to develop your play.
Zhang Jike ZLC
Dignics 64
Develop the power
Play in higher level without weak point
Combing a rubber well-balanced between speed and rotation, Dignics 80, and Super ZL Carbon-equipped racket Zhang Jike Super ZLC guides your play to not only a powerful but also a stable higher level.
Innerforce Layer ALC
Dignics 64
All-round play in a wider area
The combination is recommended for blocking and counter topspin close to the table. The racket also offers a good experience of topspin against topspin play in the mid/mid-long distance. Innerforce Layer ALC.S which has less bounce is also recommended if you seek more stability.
SK7
Dignics 64
Stable topspin-against-topspin play
Dignics 64 which has good spin offers power and stability by combing with all-wood blade SK7 Classic.