Zuzana Severinova has reached a new career-high for the second month in a row. The Czech star moves up to World No.4 in the latest World Rankings after reaching the final of the IWT Berlin Open.
In the Men’s World Rankings, Rav Rykowski has leapt up three spots to World No.7, a new high for the Pole. This comes after the 2017 European Champion won this month’s IWT Berlin Open.
This month saw all the points from the IWT Berlin Open come onto the rankings, while the World Doubles Championships points are also now on. Points dropped off the rankings from the 2017 SWT English Open.
Severinova Leads Movement on Women’s Singles World Rankings
It was a busy month on the Women’s Singles World Rankings with 15 of the world’s top-20 moving about in the rankings.
Zuzana Severinova’s rise to World No.4 was the most eye-catching as the youngster continues to climb the rankings. This is the first time she’s ever cracked the top-five.
Sweden’s Anna-Klara Ahlmer leapfrogs Natalie Paul and Kirsten Kaptein to move back up to World No.5. Germany’s Amke Fischer is also back into the top-10 as she rises three spots to World No.8.
Hannah Boden fell out of the top-10 after her runner-up performance at the SWT English Open came off the rankings.
Meanwhile, IWT Berlin Open champion Astrid Reimer-Kern moves up to World No.11 as she chases down her career-high of World No.8 from January 2017.
There were big movements further down the rankings as Melodie Parrot, Hana Rabova and Viktorija Ratacova all moved at least 15 spots to reach the top-50. Young Hong Kong player Ho Ching Chan also moved into the top-50 for the first time, landing at No.50 exactly.
Rykowski’s IWT Berlin Open Title Moves Him Up to No.7
After winning in Berlin, Rav Rykowski was the sole player to rise in the Men’s Singles World Rankings inside the top-10. The Pole moved up three spots to a career-high No.7 as he overtook Luke Penttinen, Arnaud Genin and Duncan Stahl.
Rykowski was not the only player to move to a new career-high in the top-20. Christian Wiessner’s move to No.17 is a new high while Bernhard Pilsz at No.19 and Michael Horacek at No.20 both make their top-20 debuts.
Further down the list, there were big rises for German duo Korbinian Heim and Simon Vaclahovsky who move up to No.29 and No.38. Fellow German Cornelius Radermacher rises to No.55 after reaching the IWT Berlin Open semi-finals.
Danish badminton powerhouse Malte Thyregod rises into the top-50 for the first time, up 17 spots to World No.36.
Doubles Rankings
There were no changes to the World No.1s in either the Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles or Mixed Doubles World Rankings.
Christine Seehofer remains top of the Women’s World Doubles Rankings with Nicole Eisler just behind. However, Zuzana Severinova rises four spots to World No.3. Margaux Randjbar is the other big mover at the top of the rankings with her seven-spot rise seeing her land at No.10.
The Austrian also remains top of the Mixed Doubles World Rankings. However, her Mixed Doubles partner Dan Busby moves up to World No.2 after becoming World Champion. Anna-Klara Ahlmer is the other big mover as she moves back into the World’s top-10 at No.8.
The only major rises in the Men’s Doubles top-10 saw Duncan Stahl move from nine to seven and Jack Bishop move up three spots to No.10. New World Champions Morten Jaksland and Kresten Hougaard remain at No.1 and 2 respectively.
The full FIR World Rankings are available here.
The full FIR World Tour is available here.
The IWT Berlin Open Tournament Report is available here.
The World Doubles Championships Tournament Report is available here.
Sam Barker / FIR Media Officer
