WR – An unusual result issued changes in the top 10 of mixed doubles
The season of 2024 continued with multiple international events in the FITEQ calendar however, the top 10 in both categories did not see many changes.
In 2024 as the new World Ranking policies influence not only the international events but the domestic ones too, players can collect WR points even on the Tier V. tournaments. On the other hand, with the currently implemented categorisation, the three rendez-vous held in August provided a great opportunity to gather points while the points of FITEQ's brand new tournament which debuted in Santarém, Portugal will count in the next month as the Challenger Teqball League - Santarém Cup finished on September 1.
Both the Lithuanian Teqball Open - 2nd Stage and the Osir Kobylka Teqball Cup IV became Tier IV. while the WTCH 2024 Qualifier - Mexico reached the Tier V category. Two events' points dropped out from FITEQ World Ranking, the Rio de Janeiro Challenger, and the Tripoli Challenger.
In the top 50 of women's singles, only players from Central Europe moved ahead. The biggest leaper with seven positions was Paulina Lezak who now owns 26th place after her silver medal in Kobyłka while both Agnieszka Zmudzka (POL) and Adriana Kecerova (SVK) bettered one position due to their performance in Poland.
Oleh Usychenko finished twice at the 5th position in August at the European international Teqball events which promoted him to the 22nd position in men's singles of the FITEQ World Ranking. Benjamin Patrik Toth (HUN) copied the Ukrainian's achievements and moved ahead four places to the 28th. Szabolcs Ilyes (ROU) was not different, which granted him enough points to take over two positions to the 43rd.
In women's doubles from the "first-page", only two players were affected in August. Both Nancy Avesyan (USA) and multiple Teqball Tour medallist Leticia Luzorio Barbosa (BRA) lost one place as the points from Rio in 2022 dropped out. Barbosa is now at 23rd while Avesyan is at the 35th spot.
The winners of the South American event, Rodrigo Bento Medeiros/Matheus Ferraz moved back on the standing by three. The Brazilians are at the 19th while two Lebanese also experienced a setback after their unmatched triumphs. Mohamad Hafez, the winner in men's doubles and runner-up, Ahmad Arabi halted back. Hafez jumped back to the 39th position by losing five, and Hafez is now outside of the top 40 at the 41st with three placement losses.
Balazs Katz who earned his first career trophy in men's singles in Kobyłka also not rested in mixed doubles as he finished second along with Agnieszka Rybicka. The WR points with the silver medal meant just enough to take over the category's three-time world silver medallist, Leonardo Lindoso de Almeida (BRA). The Hungarian is the 6th. World champion of mixed doubles from 2021, Zsanett Janicsek dropped back to the 21st position meaning four lost spots. Leonardo Santana, Marcos Vieira, Natalia Guitler from Brasil and Maria Chedid, and Mohamad Hafez both experienced a setback after the two tournaments back in 2022 are not eligible anymore.
The FITEQ World Ranking list is refreshed after each month when the gained points will be added while the credits that came later than two years will be taken away.