Ahmad/Natsir Leap into Third Spot

Ahmad/Natsir Leap into Third Spot

Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir’s title-winning run at the TOTAL BWF World Championships saw them jump five places in the BWF World Rankings.

The Mixed Doubles pair from Indonesia, who followed up their Olympic gold medal in Rio with the World title, surged to third place in the rankings thanks to the 12,000 points they earned in Glasgow. The World title is their second win this year after the BCA Indonesia Open crown.

World Championships silver medallists Zheng Siwei/Chen Qingchen (China) continue to remain on top of the rankings with 95,137 points, ahead of compatriots Lu Kai/Huang Yaqiong who were quarter-finalists in Glasgow.

Bronze medallists Chris Adcock/Gabrielle Adcock (England) stayed in fourth spot, followed by Zhang Nan/Li Yinhui (China); Joachim Fischer Nielsen/Christinna Pedersen (Denmark); Praveen Jordan/Debby Susanto (Indonesia); Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Thailand); Tan Kian Meng/Lai Pei Jing (Malaysia) and Lee Chun Hei/Chau Hoi Wah (Hong Kong).

There was significant shake-up in the Men’s Singles rankings following the Worlds. Newly-crowned champion Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) moved up a spot into No.2, behind Korea’s Son Wan Ho, while silver medallist Lin Dan (China) jumped three places into fourth.

Olympic champion Chen Long (China) also moved up, by two places into sixth, while his long-time rival Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) dropped two spots into seventh following a disappointing first round exit in Glasgow. Shi Yuqi (China, No.3), Chou Tien Chen (Chinese Taipei, No.5), Kidambi Srikanth (India, No.8), Ng Ka Long (Hong Kong, No.9) and Tian Houwei (China, No.10) are the others in the top ten.

In Women’s Singles, new World champion Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) shot into the top ten, climbing three spots into No.9. The World Championships was her second straight title after winning the Crown Group Australian Open.

Okuhara’s was the only movement in the top ten, as the others stayed in place. Worlds silver medallist Pusarla V Sindhu (India) is in fourth, behind Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying (No.1), Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi (No.2) and Korea’s Sung Ji Hyun (No.3).

Olympic champion Carolina Marin (Spain, No.5), Sun Yu (China, No.6), He Bingjiao (China, No.7), Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand, No.8) and Chen Yufei (China, No.10) remained at their previous rankings.

Men’s Doubles World champions Liu Cheng/Zhang Nan (China) jumped up two spots into sixth place. The Chinese were semi-finalists at three World Superseries events this year before clinching their first World crown.

Denmark’s Mathias Boe/Carsten Mogensen moved into first place despite a quarter-final finish in Glasgow, replacing China’s Li Junhui/Liu Yuchen at the top of the rankings. Indonesia’s Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (No.3) and Japan’s Takeshi Kamura/Keigo Sonoda (No.4) stayed in place, while China’s Chai Biao/Hong Wei moved up one spot into fifth.

Olympic silver medallists Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong (Malaysia) slid two spots into seventh.

Women’s Doubles World champions Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan (China) moved up into second spot, just 1311 points short of No.1 Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi (Japan).

Japan have four pairs in the top ten, with Worlds silver medallists Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota climbing three places into sixth. The other two pairs are Shiho Tanaka/Koharu Yonemoto (No.8) and Naoko Fukuman/Kurumi Yonao (No.10).

Denmark’s Christinna Pedersen/Kamilla Rytter Juhl slipped a spot into third. Two Korean pairs – Chang Ye Na/Lee So Hee and Jung Kyung Eun/Shin Seung Chan – are in fourth and fifth.

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