(by Steve Hopkins)

In the latest rankings, Tomokazu Harimoto jumped up to No. 4.  China still holds the top three slots with Fan Zhendong in first, Ma Long in second, and Liang Jingkun in third.  To make room for Harimoto, Moregard drops to No. 5 with the rest of the top 10 in order Hugo Calderano, Lin Yun-Ju, Darko Jorgic, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, and Wang Chuqin.  Patrick Franziska has moved up three spots to No. 11.  Lin Goayuan had the biggest jump in the Top 25, moving up eight spots to No. 12.

Harimoto is Japan’s only player in the Top 20 – Yukiya Uda is their second highest ranked player at No. 22.  Sweden has three players in the Top 20: Moregard (No. 5), Kallberg (No. 18), and Karlsson (No. 19).  The second strongest world contingent right now is Germany – With Ovtcharov (No. 9), Franziska (No. 11), Qiu (No. 13), and Boll (No. 14).  Korea and Taipei each have two players in the top 25 (each).  Kanak Jha remains North America’s top player at No. 32.

In the Women’s rankings China has been so dominant that they have the top 4 players – and that those four are each over 4000 total points.  No. 5, Mima Ito of Japan has 2905 points – not within reach of No. 4 without several wins.  The only rankings question that remains at the very top is which of China’s women will finish in first.  Right now, Sun Yingsha holds the top position with 5770 points, then Chen Meng with 5580, then Wang Many with 4710 and Wang Yidi with 4220.  Mima Ito and Hina Hayata are both in the upper 2000s.  Adriana Diaz has held on to the 10th position.  Lily Zhang is up a few spots to No. 35.  Mo Zhang is Canada’s top player at No. 52.

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