Famous Name Absent from Latest ITTF World Rankings

Created on Wednesday, 12 May 2010 18:57

The occupant of the no.1 position on the ITTF Women’s World Rankings from January 2003 to November 2009, with only the months of January and November 2008, seeing that position relinquished when the no.2 spot was the order of the day; the name of China’s Zhang Yining does not appear on the World Rankings published by the International Table Tennis Federation on Saturday 8th May 2010.

Following a period of absence from the international scene since winning the Women’s Singles title at the H.I.S. World Championships in early May 2009, Zhang Yining, gold medallist in both the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, is omitted from the latest list.

The London Eye
Is this a quiet farewell for Zhang Yining, who recently married and has elected not to compete in the forthcoming Liebherr World Team Championships in Moscow?

Or will the lure of a possible hat-trick of gold medals by competing in the 2012 London Olympic Games prove the swansong?

Without Zhang Yining, the Chinese would be red hot favourites to clinch a full house of medals in the women’s events in London, with Zhang Yining, they would be white hot.

One Place Higher
The effect of Zhang Yining’s absence from the latest list means that in the top ten for five players it is one place higher than April.

Korea’s Kim Kyung Ah advances to from no.6 to no.7 with China’s Li Xiaoxia at no.8 followed by Japan’s Ai Fukuhara, Hong Kong’s Jiang Huajun and Singapore’s Yu Meng Yu.

Top Three
China’s Liu Shiwen remains at no.1 with Singapore’s Feng Tianwei and China’s Guo Yan the next in line and retaining their places of one month earlier.

Bright Light for Europe
The top ten names are once again all Asian but for Europe there is most certainly a bright light; step into the limelight, 16 year old Petrissa Solja of Germany.

Winner of the Cadet Girls’ Singles title at the European Youth Championships in both 2008 and 2009 whilst earlier this year impressing on the ITTF Pro Tour in Qatar and emerging victorious in the Girls’ Singles event at the Joola German Junior Open, the ice cool left hander moves from no.151 to no.93.

No Change
Meanwhile, in the Under 21 Women’s World Rankings, the names at the top of the list remain the same. Liu Shiwen occupies the top place followed by Ding Ning and Yu Meng Yu whilst in the Under 18 and Under 15 Girls’ listings, it is the same scenario.

China’s Wu Yang retains her no.1 spot on the Under 18 Girls’ Rankings with Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa at no.2 and Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching at no.3; similarly on the Under 15 Girls’ Rankings, Romania’s Bernadette Szocs continues to lead the way followed by China’s Gu Yuting and Japan’s Miyu Maeda.

Qualifier Perhaps
No changes amongst the younger players but of course amongst the leading ladies, the absence of Zhang Yining is noticeable.

Just one thought; should she enter a tournament on the ITTF Pro Tour, she will have to play in the qualification event!

Tough draw for somebody.

Source: www.ittf.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XclZYgaEs4

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