RFA Rankings
15 March 2022
With the new year having brought a welcome run of RFA events – including the Under 25, North West, and North of England Championships – we are delighted to bring you the new official RFA Open Singles and Doubles Rankings (which you can see on the Rankings page on this website), along with the following update from the RFA’s Rankings Tsar, Dave Hebden:
“The top three in the Singles Rankings remain the same as before, but things could not be very much closer. Dan Tristao maintains his position at the top thanks to his National Singles wins over the last two years, as well as having a very marginally superior head-to-head record against the other two. Ed Kay, after his win in the North of England Championships, now holds four open singles titles this season, and retains second place, while North West champion Will Ellison follows closely in third position.
Ben Beltrami, who makes a habit of never beating those above him in the rankings, but never losing to those below him, is solidly in fourth place. If more players did this, my task of compiling the rankings would be very much easier! Following good results in the Under 25 and North of England Championships, Tom Watkinson nudges ahead of Julian Aquilina into #6, and North of England semi-finalist Richie Murby enters the Top 10 at #9.
Highest new entry, at #22, is Marco Skogh, who had some very good victories en route to winning the North West Plate Singles. It is encouraging to see a total of eight new entries in this update. Joining Marco are Shiloh Wu, Nathan Jerome, Marcus Cloke Browne, Oscar Naden, Will Hanley, Isaac Weaver, and Michael Hawkey.
The top three Singles players also occupy the top three places in the new Doubles Rankings, but this time in reverse order. Will Ellison stays at #1, with Ed Kay in close pursuit at #2. Dan Tristao moves up to #3 after his win with Will in the North West. Ben Beltrami, Theo Parker, and Tom Watkinson also make progress in the Top 10.
Rob Whitehorn enters the Top 20 at #19 following his semi-final appearance with Lewis Keates in Durham, and there are also good upward moves from Isaac Weaver, Bally Singh, Oscar McIntyre, Nathan Jerome, Vishal Singh, Richard Christie, and Charlie Barnett. Finally, congratulations to five new entries, Simon Beattie, Will Hanley, Marcus Cloke Browne, Shiloh Wu, and Max Langtry.
The next rankings update will be at end of season following the National Doubles and Scottish Championships.