Wang Yihan Surges to No.4

Wang Yihan Surges to No.4

Ratchanok Intanon-v4BCA Indonesia Open runner-up Wang Yihan’s impressive recent form has seen her shoot up seven places on the latest Destination Dubai Rankings.

The Women’s Singles mainstay from China, who hasn’t won a World Superseries event in over two years, started with a quarter-final performance at the Yonex All England and went on to make the final of the Indonesia Open. While Wang (featured image) has not rediscovered her prime form, her recent performances show that the veteran cannot be written off just yet.

The MetLife World Superseries circuit consists of 12 events, five of which have been completed. The 12-event series will be followed by the season-ending extravaganza, the Dubai World Superseries Finals, to which the eight top-ranked players and pairs on the Destination Dubai Rankings will be invited.

The Women’s Singles leader on the Destination Dubai Rankings is Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon, who made history by winning three straight Superseries – the Yonex Sunrise India Open, Celcom Axiata Malaysia Open and OUE Singapore Open. Intanon is sitting pretty with 38,110 points, 2800 points above the second-placed Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei), who won her first Superseries in 17 months at the BCA Indonesia Open. They are followed by China’s Wang Shixian, Wang Yihan, Carolina Marin (Spain), Saina Nehwal (India), Nozomi Okuhara (Japan), Sung Ji Hyun (Korea), Li Xuerui (China) and Akane Yamaguchi (Japan).

Marin, who had a great 2015, hasn’t quite been her best this year, while Okuhara, winner of back-to-back Superseries in Dubai and Birmingham, has also been dogged by inconsistency.

Outside the top ten, the big gainer is China’s Sun Yu, who has jumped up 10 places to No.15. India’s PV Sindhu, on the other hand, is at No.14 after dropping down four places. Thailand’s Porntip Buranaprasertsuk has dropped outside the top ten, falling six places to No.11.

(Click here for Women’s Singles Destination Dubai Rankings)

Lee Chong Wei_smash

In Men’s Singles, Lee Chong Wei roared back into the top four with Superseries wins on home turf in Malaysia and Indonesia. The Malaysian is on a dream run currently, having won five of the last seven Superseries he participated in. This year he had started badly, with early exits at the All England and the Yonex-Sunrise India Open, but appears to be warming up for the Olympics with stellar performances over the last two months.

Tian Houwei’s consistency has been rewarded with the No.1 spot on the Destination Dubai Rankings (31,740 points). The Chinese, though, is yet to win a Superseries. Following him are compatriot Lin Dan, Denmark’s Jan O Jorgensen, Lee Chong Wei, Viktor Axelsen (Denmark), Korea’s Son Wan Ho, Germany’s Marc Zwiebler, Denmark’s Hans-Kristian Vittinghus, Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long and Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie.

The big surprise is World champion Chen Long (China), who has dropped five places to No.12.

(Click here for Men’s Singles Destination Dubai Rankings)

Mads Pieler Kolding & Mads Conrad-Petersen

Lee/Yoo Ahead in Men’s Doubles

Lee Yong Dae/Yoo Yeon Seong claimed the No.1 spot for the first time this year on the Destination Dubai Rankings with 32,820 points. The Koreans jumped up three places thanks to their Indonesia Open title, and find themselves above runners-up Chai Biao/Hong Wei (China).

Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong (Malaysia); Ko Sung Hyun/Shin Baek Cheol (Korea); Fu Haifeng/Zhang Nan (China); Markus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (Indonesia); Mads Conrad-Petersen/Mads Pieler Kolding (Denmark); Angga Pratama/Ricky Karanda Suwardi (Indonesia), and two Japanese pairs — Hiroyuki Endo/Kenichi Hayakawa and Takeshi Kamura/Keigo Sonoda — are the others in the top ten.

Misaki & Ayaka-vKorea’s Kim Gi Jung/Kim Sa Rang, who were the previous leaders, fell ten places to No.11. World champions Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia) remained static at No.12, while Denmark’s Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen have shot up 11 spots to No.15.

(Click here for Men’s Doubles Destination Dubai Rankings)

Matsutomo/Takahashi Lead in Women’s Doubles

There has been no dramatic movement in Women’s Doubles. Dutch duo Eefje Muskens/Selena Piek, debut Superseries semi-finalists in Indonesia, moved up five spots into No.8, just ahead of China’s Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei and Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan.

The rankings are led by Japan’s Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi, winners of three Superseries this year. Next in line are Malaysia Open winners Tang Yuanting/Yu Yang (China), followed by Jung Kyung Eun/Shin Seung Chan (Korea); Singapore Open winners Nitya Krishinda Maheswari/Greysia Polii (Indonesia); Naoko Fukuman/Kurumi Yonao (Japan); Chang Ye Na/Lee So Hee (Korea) and Shizuka Matsuo/Mami Naito (Japan).

(Click here for Women’s Doubles Destination Dubai Rankings)

Big Leap for Xu/Ma

China’s Xu Chen/Ma Jin have had an uneven last 12 months, but they rediscovered form while defending their Indonesia Open title. The title victory helped them rise five places to No.2, behind Singapore Open winners Ko Sung Hyun/Kim Ha Na (35,340 points) of Korea.

Chris Adcock & Gabby Adcock3

Others in the top ten are: Joachim Fischer Nielsen/Christinna Pedersen (Denmark); Malaysia Open winners Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir (Indonesia); India Open champions Lu Kai/Huang Yaqiong (China); Chris Adcock/Gabrielle Adcock (England); Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei (China); All England champions Praveen Jordan/Debby Susanto (Indonesia); Liu Cheng/Bao Yixin (China) and Kenta Kazuno/Ayane Kurihara (Japan).

(Click here for Mixed Doubles Destination Dubai Rankings)

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