Sporting Digest: Table Tennis

MATTHEW SYED, the Oxford University student, has moved into second place in the new England men's ranking list issued yesterday. Chen Xinhua is still top but Syed, 23, from Reading, has jumped ahead of rivals Carl Prean and Alan Cook following his success last month against the world No 8, Peter Karlsson (Sweden) at the European Championships in Birmingham. In the women's list, the top four - Lisa Lomas, Andrea Holt, Alison Gordon, and Sally Marling - retain their positions.