Aruna Quadri is now ranked 23 in the latest ITTF ranking released by the world body late on Tuesday, after his participation in the just concluded ITTF World Tour Qatar Open

Also, Italy-based Olajide Omotayo who has been active this year on the ITTF calendar benefited too from his involvement in the Qatar Open as the former Asoju Oba Cup champion gained seven steps to be rated 129 in the world ranking.

Quadri who was rated 25th in the March 2019 rating is now the 23rd ranked player in the world and the best ranked African player in the world ahead of his arch-rival – Egypt’s Omar Assar.

Egypt’s Assar maintained his grip as the second best African player in the world despite dropping 47 from 44 in the ranking.

Egypt’s duo of Mohamed El-Beiali and Ahmed Saleh are the third and fourth best ranked African player in the world rating, while Omotayo continues to trail the Egyptian as the fifth-rated African player in the world.

From this latest ranking, it is now clear that Quadri will not be competing in the preliminary stage of next month’s World Championship in Hungary, as the 2018 ITTF Challenge Nigeria Open champion will be starting his campaign alongside the elite players from the main draw (round of 128) of the men’s singles. He will also be joined in the main draw by Egypt’s Assar, while the likes of Omotayo and Segun Toriola as well as Bode Abiodun will start their campaigns from the preliminary round of the competition.

In the April 2019 ranking as well as China’s Fan Zhendong held on to the top spot in the world for consecutive 13months. Elevated to top spot one year ago in April 2018, one year later without a break, for the 13th consecutive month, the name of China’s Zhendong appears at the head of the men’s world rankings. Once again he has been listed ahead of compatriots – Xi Xin and Lin Gaoyuan with Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto and Germany’s Timo Boll the next in the order of merit.

In the women’s ranking, China reserves the top five places; Ding Ning remains ahead of Zhu Yuling and Chen Meng with Liu Shiwen once again in the no.5 position.

Also, Egypt’s Dina Meshref held on to the top echelon in Africa having moved up to 48 from 52 in the released ranking.