Most significantly for the men, Germany’s Qiu Dang, the winner at the 2020 ITTF Challenge Series Portugal Open, climbs from no.77 to a career high of no.48; his previous best being no.66 last year in August.

Equally making progress as a result of their efforts in Portugal, semi-finalists, the host nation’s João Geraldo and Denmark’s Anders Lind both climb the ladder. João Geraldo moves from no.124 to no.99; Anders Lind from no.50 to no.40.

Likewise, the finalists at the ITTF Challenge Spanish Open gain higher listings. Kazakhstan’s Kirill Gerassimenko, the winner progresses from no.64 to no.50; Germany’s Benedikt Duda, the runner up, from no.39 to no.33.

Higher listings, is the same for Russia’s Alexander Shibaev who moves from no.93 to no.82, as it is for Japan’s Yukiya Uda, the runner up at the 2020 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open. He climbs to a career best of no.40. Previously he was listed at no.50.

New heights, most notably it is the same for Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic, the runner up at the CCB Europe Top 16 and for Egypt’s Ahmed Ali Saleh, the winner at the ITTF Africa Cup. Darko Jorgic moves from no.39 to no.33, Ahmed Ali Saleh from no.85 to no.71.

Silver medallist

A silver medal for Darko Jorgic at the CCB 2020 Europe Top 16 Cup, it was the same for Britt Eerland of the Netherlands; she moves from no.47 to no.30 and thus claims her best ever status. Notably, it a situation that also applies to Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz, the winner of the Universal 2020 Pan American Cup. She climbs just one place to no.19.

One step for Adriana Diaz, for Japan’s 14 year old Haruna Ojio the progress is much greater as she secures the highest ranking of her career; she is now at no.102, previously she was listed at no.86.

Similarly, as a result of success at the ITTF Challenge Series Spanish Open, semi-finalists Germany’s Shan Xiaona and Singapore’s Zeng Jian both climb the order. Shan Xiaona moves from no.58 to no.50, Zeng Jian from no.90 to no.82.

Climbing the ladder, by definition there are those who must make way; notably on the men’s list China’s Sun Wen falls from no.92 to no.104, Australia’s Heming Hu from no.86 to no.95. In a similar vein on the women’s order of merit, China’s Fan Siqi drops from no.96 to no.139, Egypt’s Yousra Helmy from no.80 to no.90.