The ITTF has announced the 2017 ITTF World Tour Standings for the top 16 Men’s & Women’s players on the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour who have now qualified for the US$1 000 000 Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals to be held in Astana Kazakhstan from 14-17 December 2017.
The Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals is the season-ending finale for the ITTF World Tour where only the top 15 Men plus 1 host nation representative and top 16 Women as well as the top 8 Men’s and Women’s doubles pairs who have earned the most World Tour Standing points on the 2017 World Tour can qualify for. Athletes must also play a minimum of five World Tour events to qualify for the Singles events and doubles pairs must play at least four events together from the twelve event of the 2017 ITTF World Tour.
With the conclusion of the Swedish Open the last ITTF World Tour event of the year the list of qualifiers for the Men’s Singles Women’s Singles Men’s Doubles and Women’s Doubles events are finalized.
Germany’s Dimitrij OVTCHAROV who has won four World Tour titles this year will head the top 15 Men’s seeding to fight for the prestigious ITTF World Tour Grand Finals title. Kazakhstan’s top star Kirill GERASSIMENKO will carry the local hopes in Astana. Chinese Taipei’s CHUANG Chih-Yuan and Japan’s Yuya OSHIMA secured the last two tickets to Astana after their outing in Stockholm for their chance for the title.
Having won three World Tour Platinum titles in 2017 to become the most successful Women’s player on tour China’s CHEN Meng leads the top 16 Women’s Singles name list to Astana with Chinese Taipei’s CHENG I-Ching and Japan’s Hitomi SATO reserving the last two tickets available in Sweden.
Japanese teenagers Mima ITO and Hina HAYATA topped the Women’s Doubles list after their Swedish Open victories over 2017 World Championships finalists CHEN Meng and ZHU Yuling. While their male counterparts Jin UEDA and Maharu YOSHIMURA lead the top 8 Men’s pairs in Astana.
The world’s top table tennis stars will now be in full force getting prepared for the US$1 000 000 Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals from 14-17 December 2017 as well as the Astana 2017 ITTF Star Awards to celebrate their achievement throughout the year on 14 December 2017 at the Rixos President Hotel in Astana Kazakhstan.
