Well, seems I was a lucky guy with #2 world-wide and hope the log check will not drop me behind LZ1NG. 
Guiseppe, IT9VDQ, clearly had the location advantage again (and is a great OP, of course) but beating LZ1NG who’s a big one on 10 m regularly, too, and has a big location advantage as well, makes me kind of proud … So all the efforts paid off. 