Soliman Sends Gawad to Shock Defeat as PSA World Championships Begin in Chicago

An astonishing comeback from 2-0 down saw Egypt’s World No.33 Youssef Soliman send 2016 World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad to a shock first round defeat as squash’s first $1 million tournament - the PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family - got under way in Chicago today.


Gawad, the World No.5, was one of the frontrunners for the men’s trophy, but his exit leaves the draw wide open after a magnificent fightback from Soliman at MetroSquash saw him record a 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 victory to claim the biggest win of his career.


“To come back against Karim is really tough because you always fear that he will be the one to come back when you play him,” said Soliman.


“To be the one that was 2-0 down and to come back, I had to push really hard and it was an unbelievable match for me. I worked him really well in the first game, but he obviously won that one and then the second. If I played fast and hit the ball hard, he was so good at taking the pace off the ball and making me run around.


"This is definitely the biggest win of my career, I just beat the No.5 in the world. I won’t think about it because sometimes when you have a huge win, it takes it out of you a lot. I won’t enjoy it that much, I will just focus on my next round.”


Soliman will play Welshman Joel Makin in round two, while MetroSquash also played host to another big upset as England’s Adrian Waller, the World No.42, defeated World No.10 Diego Elias by a 3-1 scoreline.


Meanwhile, reigning men’s champion Mohamed ElShorbagy began his title defence at Chicago’s Union Station, where an all-glass court - featuring an interactive front wall - has been erected in Union Station’s picturesque Grand Hall.


The World No.1 overcame training partner and former roommate Joshua Masters 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-5 to set up a round two clash with Mexico’s Cesar Salazar.


“We aren’t just training partners, we actually lived together for three years as well, so he knows me very well,” ElShorbagy said.


“Every day you learn something new, and even with my experience on tour now, being a defending World Champion is not something that I have experienced before. It’s probably the only thing I have never faced before in my career and it’s going to be a new experience for me. But I like challenges, it’s what brings the best out in any athlete and I hope I can be at my best form this week.”


ElShorbagy is joined in the second round by World No.1-in-waiting Ali Farag, who beat England’s Daryl Selby, while World No.3 Tarek Momen defeated men’s United States No.1 Todd Harrity.


Germany’s Simon Rösner also won as he beat 2015 runner-up Omar Mosaad. New Zealand’s Paul Coll, Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez and the younger ElShorbagy brother, Marwan, all earned their places in the last 32.


The women’s event will have an all-US fixture in store for fans at Union Station as the country’s top two players - Boston-based Amanda Sobhy and Port Chester’s Olivia Blatchford Clyne - both claimed wins on day one.


Sobhy was making her first appearance at the sport’s biggest tournament since 2016 and the World No.10 overcame England’s Julianne Courtice 11-4, 11-6, 11-7 to book her second round berth.


Blatchford Clyne got the better of Canada’s Hollie Naughton in five games at the University Club of Chicago.


“I saw the draw and I was like ‘ok, I have one of the tougher first rounds’, but I’m kind of happy because it just rips the band aid off and you can get straight into it," said Sobhy, 25.


“She ran me around, but I enjoyed playing on the court and it’s a fantastic audience. It’s amazing to be playing in front of a home crowd and I love it. The bigger and rowdier the crowd, the better."


Defending women’s champion Raneem El Welily also won on the opening day as she dispatched South Africa’s Alexandra Fuller 3-0 and she will take on 17-year-old compatriot Hania El Hammamy next.


“I think this might be the first time that I have seen her play and actually played her,” said El Welily, who won the Windy City Open in Chicago three years in succession between 2015-2017.


“I’ve seen her results though, so I know how dangerous she can be and I was definitely trying out some new things today. It’s a new court and atmosphere, [it’s a] great venue and I’m so happy to be back here in Chicago."


World No.2 Nour El Sherbini, a two-time World Champion, moved past England’s Lily Taylor by a 3-0 margin, with compatriots Nour El Tayeb and Nouran Gohar also claiming wins.


Malaysia’s eight-time World Champion Nicol David kicked off her last ever World Championships with a comfortable win over Egypt’s Manna Nasser and her reward is a matchup with England’s Millie Tomlinson at Union Station.


Second round action begins on Sunday February 24 at 12:00 (GMT-5). Fixtures from Union Station will be shown live on SQUASHTV (Rest of World), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (Excluding Europe and Japan).


Results - Men’s First Round: 2018-2019 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family

[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Joshua Masters (ENG) 3-1: 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-5 (45m)

Cesar Salazar (MEX) bt Arturo Salazar (MEX) 3-1: 11-9, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9 (41m)

Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt Nathan Lake (ENG) 3-1: 8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4 (49m)

Leo Au (HKG) bt [15] Raphael Kandra (GER) 3-1: 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-3 (55m)

[16] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Ivan Yuen (MAS) 3-0: 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (37m)

[L] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt Tayyab Aslam (PAK) 3-1: 9-11, 11-2, 11-5, 11-6 (41m)

Alan Clyne (SCO) bt [L] Daniel Mekbib (CZE) 3-1: 11-9, 11-4, 8-11, 11-2 (52m)

[6] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) bt [L] Ramit Tandon (IND) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-8 (34m)

[8] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 3-0: 11-9, 15-13, 11-3 (44m)

Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Greg Lobban (SCO) 3-1: 19-17, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7 (84m)

[L] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 3-1: 12-14, 12-10, 12-10, 11-5 (48m)

[14] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt Olli Tuominen (FIN) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-7 (40m)

[9] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Declan James (ENG) 3-2: 7-11, 12-10, 3-11, 11-7, 11-5 (58m)

Tom Richards (ENG) bt Edmon Lopez (ESP) 3-0: 11-7, 11-0, 11-6 (30m)

[4] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Todd Harrity (USA) 3-1: 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6 (34m)

[3] Simon Rösner (GER) bt Omar Mosaad (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-2, 11-7 (41m)

Richie Fallows (ENG) bt Vikram Malhotra (IND) 3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 11-4 (28m)

Borja Golan (ESP) bt Rex Hedrick (AUS) 3-2: 9-11, 11-13, 11-4, 12-10, 11-3 (87m)

Ben Coleman (ENG) bt Max Lee (HKG) 3-2: 12-10, 6-11, 14-12, 11-13, 11-9 (91m)

[11] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 3-0: 11-3, 11-5, 11-3 (33m)

Lucas Serme (FRA) bt Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-1, 11-5 (41m)

Joel Makin (WAL) bt Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) 3-2: 11-6, 9-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-9 (78m)

Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt [5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 3-2: 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 (87m)

[7] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) 3-1: 11-6, 9-11, 11-3, 11-3 (44m)

Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [L] Christopher Binnie (JAM) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-3 (32m)

Mohamed Reda (EGY) bt Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 3-1: 9-11, 11-4, 13-11, 11-6 (66m)

[13] Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 12-10 (38m)

Adrian Waller (ENG) bt [10] Diego Elias (PER) 3-1: 5-11, 11-9, 11-9, 12-10 (53m)

Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt Zahed Salem (EGY) 3-2: 11-8, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6 (78m)

Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt Peter Creed (WAL) 3-2: 11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 (80m)

[2] Ali Farag (EGY) bt Daryl Selby (ENG) 3-0: 11-2, 11-5, 11-4 (30m)


Results - Women’s First Round: 2018-2019 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family

[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt Alexandra Fuller (RSA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-3 (23m)

[17] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Lee Ka Yi (HKG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-5, 11-4 (20m)

[26] Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt Low Wee Wern (MAS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-4, 11-8 (25m)

[9] Alison Waters (ENG) bt Tinne Gilis (BEL) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 (22m)

[15] Victoria Lust (ENG) bt Danielle Letourneau (CAN) 3-2: 8-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 (53m)

[21] Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt [L] Anna Serme (CZE) 3-0: 11-6, 11-3, 11-7 (29m)

[25] Fiona Moverley (ENG) bt Lucy Turmel (ENG) 3-1: 11-8, 6-11, 11-5, 11-5 (37m)

[8] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt Menna Hamed (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-1 (20m)

[7] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-8 (21m)

Coline Aumard (FRA) bt [28] Nele Gilis (BEL) 3-2: 13-11, 4-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7 (58m)

[30] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) bt Nicole Bunyan (CAN) 3-0: 11-2, 11-3, 11-4 (19m)

[12] Annie Au (HKG) bt Nikki Todd (CAN) 3-0: 11-6, 11-3, 11-4 (18m)

[16] Salma Hany (EGY) bt Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) 3-0: 12-10, 11-9, 11-6 (29m)

[L] Melissa Alves (FRA) bt [29] Samantha Cornett (CAN) 3-1: 11-8, 12-10, 10-12, 13-11 (42m)

[31] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Haley Mendez (USA) 3-1: 11-6, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9 (40m)

[3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt Rachel Arnold (MAS) 3-0: 11-2, 11-6, 11-6 (21m)

[4] Joelle King (NZL) bt Heba El Torky (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-6 (24m)

[23] Mayar Hany (EGY) bt Ho Tze-Lok (HKG) 3-1: 11-6, 12-14, 11-7, 11-7 (38m)

[18] Joey Chan (HKG) bt Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 (24m)

[14] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt Ineta Mackevica (LAT) 3-0: 11-5, 11-3, 11-7 (24m)

[13] Nicol David (MAS) v [L] Menna Nasser (EGY) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-3 (21m)

[24] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) bt Olivia Fiechter (USA) 3-1: 22-24, 11-5, 12-10, 11-8 (55m)

Lisa Aitken (SCO) bt [27] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 3-0: 12-10, 11-7, 11-4 (29m)

[5] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 3-0: 11-2, 11-4, 11-2 (18m)

[6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) v Vanessa Chu (HKG)11-7, 11-3, 11-6 (20m)

[20] Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt Enora Villard (FRA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-5 (22m)

Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) bt [32] Nada Abbas (EGY) 3-1: 11-3, 7-11, 12-10, 11-8 (43m)

[10] Tesni Evans (WAL) bt Milou van der Heijden (NED) 3-0: 13-11, 11-4, 11-9 (37m)

[11] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Julianne Courtice (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-7 (29m)

[19] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA) bt Hollie Naughton (CAN) 3-2: 7-11, 11-4, 12-10, 9-11, 11-6 (55m)

Christine Nunn (AUS) bt [22] Mariam Metwally (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 13-11 (37m)

[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [L] Lily Taylor (ENG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-5, 11-9 (24m)


Draw - Men’s Second Round: To Be Played February 24th

[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Cesar Salazar (MEX)

Campbell Grayson (NZL) v Leo Au (HKG)

[16] James Willstrop (ENG) v Victor Crouin (FRA)

Alan Clyne (SCO) v [6] Miguel Rodriguez (COL)

[8] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v Gregoire Marche (FRA)

[L] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) v [14] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)

[9] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v Chris Simpson (ENG)

Tom Richards (ENG) v [4] Tarek Momen (EGY)

[3] Simon Rösner (GER) v Richie Fallows (ENG)

Borja Golan (ESP) v Ben Coleman (ENG)

[11] Saurav Ghosal (IND) v Lucas Serme (FRA)

Joel Makin (WAL) v Youssef Soliman (EGY)

[7] Paul Coll (NZL) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)

Mohamed Reda (EGY) v [13] Fares Dessouky (EGY)

Adrian Waller (ENG) v Mazen Hesham (EGY)

Mostafa Asal (EGY) v [2] Ali Farag (EGY)


Draw - Women’s Second Round: To Be Played February 24th

[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [17] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)

[26] Nadine Shahin (EGY) v [9 Alison Waters (ENG)

[15] Victoria Lust (ENG) v [21] Emily Whitlock (ENG)

[25] Fiona Moverley (ENG) v [8] Nouran Gohar (EGY)

[7] Laura Massaro (ENG) v Coline Aumard (FRA)

[30] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) v [12] Annie Au (HKG)

[16] Salma Hany (EGY) v [L] Melissa Alves (FRA)

[31] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) v [3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)

[4] Joelle King (NZL) v [23] Mayar Hany (EGY)

[18] Joey Chan (HKG) v [14] Joshna Chinappa (IND)

[13] Nicol David (MAS) v [24] Millie Tomlinson (ENG)

Lisa Aitken (SCO) v [5] Camille Serme (FRA)

[6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) v [20] Yathreb Adel (EGY)

Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) v [10] Tesni Evans (WAL)

[11] Amanda Sobhy (USA) v [19] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)

Christine Nunn (AUS) v [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY)

World Champion El Welily Headlines Black Ball Squash Open Main Draw

The main draw of March’s Black Ball Squash Open PSA Gold tournament was released today, with World No.1 Raneem El Welily headlining the draw at the Black Ball Sporting Club in Cairo, Egypt from March 11-15.

The Black Ball Squash Open will be the first major women’s tournament to take place in Egypt’s capital since the 2016 Wadi Degla Open when El Welily took the title and she will be looking to repeat that performance in her home city next month.

The reigning World Champion – who, along with the other top eight seeds, receives a bye into the second round - will open her tournament against either compatriot and World Junior Champion Rowan Elaraby or Hong Kong’s Annie Au.

Seeded at the opposite end of the draw is former World No.1 and two-time World Champion Nour El Sherbini, who will face either England’s former World No.3 Alison Waters or Egypt’s Zeina Mickawy in round two of the tournament.

El Welily and El Sherbini are seeded to meet in the final, with both players already meeting in two finals so far this season, with one title apiece and El Sherbini coming out on top in the last meeting at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions.

Other home favourites at the tournament comes in the form of World No.4 Nour El Tayeb and World No.8 Nouran Gohar. Cairo-born El Tayeb will face one of her compatriots in Hania El Hammamy or wildcard Salma Youssef in round two, while Gohar – who was also born in Cairo – will take on either Belgium’s Nele Gilis or Egypt’s Salma Hany for a place in the quarter-finals.

New Zealand’s World No.3 Joelle King will be looking to halt the Egyptian charge as the Hong Kong Open winner begins her tournament against either Egypt’s Mariam Metwally or Wales’ Tesni Evans. The Kiwi also faces the prospect of meeting World No.2 El Sherbini in the semi-finals of the tournament should both players play to their seeding.

Meanwhile, France’s Camille Serme and English pair Sarah-Jane Perry and Laura Massaro will all be in action in the Egyptian capital and complete the top eight seedings at the tournament.

World No.5 Serme is seeded to meet El Sherbini in the quarter-finals, while Massaro could meet El Welily in the last eight and Perry faces the prospect of a showdown with King for a place in the semi-finals.

Matches held on the glass court will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only).

You can keep up to date with the latest from the Black Ball Squash Open at the tournament’s website and on Twitter.

Main Draw – Black Ball Squash Open:

[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) [Bye]

Rowan Elaraby (EGY) v [9/16] Annie Au (HKG)

[9/16] Yathreb Adel (EGY) v Mayar Hany (EGY)

[7] Laura Massaro (ENG) [Bye]

[8] Nouran Gohar (EGY) [Bye]

Nele Gilis (BEL) v [9/16] Salma Hany (EGY)

[9/16] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) v [WC] Salma Youssef (EGY)

[4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) [Bye]

[3] Joelle King (NZL) [Bye]

Mariam Metwally (EGY) v [9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL)

[9/16] Joshna Chinappa (IND) v Nicol David (MAS)

[6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) [Bye]

[5] Camille Serme (FRA) [Bye]

Millie Tomlinson (ENG) v [9/16] Joey Chan (HKG)

[9/16] Alison Waters (ENG) v Zeina Mickawy (EGY)

[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) [Bye]

Sobhy Hails Equal Prize Money World Championships as Huge Step Forward for Squash

United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy believes there is no stopping the future of squash ahead of the 2018-2019 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family, which will offer the sport’s first $1 million prize purse when it takes place at Chicago’s Union Station from February 23 – March 2.

World No.10 Sobhy will lead the home charge at the tournament when it hosts 128 of the world’s greatest squash players as they battle for the record prize purse, which will be split equally between the men’s and women’s draws, and Sobhy believes this is a huge step for equality in the sport.

“It’s so important that the World Champs is split equally between the men and women,” said the 25-year-old American.

“In order for the sport to grow, we need to be promoting the men and women equally and showing that the women deserve the same prize money as the men.

“It’s huge to see that the World Champs in Chicago are splitting the prize pool equally and that there was never a second thought to do anything else.



“It’s fantastic to see the growth of squash and the increase in prize money. Having a $1 million total prize pool for an event has been unprecedented, so it raises the bar even higher for other promoters and events.



“It just goes to show that there is no stopping the future of squash.”

This will be the first PSA World Championships to offer an equal prize fund in the men’s and women’s draws with a $500,000 prize purse available in both divisions, while all joint Platinum events on the PSA Tour now offer equal prize money.

And Sobhy is proud to be part of a sport that continues to strive for equality, saying: “It’s truly amazing to see our sport pushing for equality and making all Platinum events offer equal prize money.

“There are so many other sports out there where the women are constantly getting less pay than the men, so it makes me really proud to be a part of an association and sport where they view the men and women equally.”

The 25-year-old will be competing in her first World Championships since 2016 after missing out last season due to recovering from a ruptured achilles.

However, with Sobhy now back in the top 10 in this month’s PSA World Rankings, she is looking forward to performing at the sport’s biggest tournament with the backing of the home crowd.

“I’m really excited to play the World Champs on home soil,” said Boston-based Sobhy.

“I love Chicago and I always get a lot of support when I’m competing there, so I’m just looking forward to playing in front of everyone. It will definitely give me that added push during matches.

“It feels fantastic to break back into the top 10 again since my injury. It seems like so long ago since I was last up there in the rankings, so I just want to keep building on the momentum and keep improving.”

The 2018-2019 PSA World Championship will take place at Chicago’s Union Station, while some matches from rounds one and two will also be held at MetroSquash and the University Club of Chicago.

Matches from Union Station will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only), while the semi-finals and finals will also be shown live on mainstream broadcast channels around the world, including BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.

Tickets are priced from $30 and are available for purchase on Ticketmaster.

For more information on the 2018-2019 PSA World Championships, follow the tournament on Twitter, Facebook or the event’s website.

Yemisi Olatunji Craves for more Medals as she celebrates her birthday

The Nigeria number one female Squash player, Yemisi Olatunji popularly known as Squash Queen celebrated her birthday on valentines day Feb 14.....

On a phone call with Olatunji, Naija Squash Media celebrated the Squash Queen  as she expressed her major goal for the year.

YEMISI OLATUNJI: I don’t know where this feeling comes from. It is just inside of me. It’s like a hunger that never goes away. I'm still starved. These laurels still feels like a crumb to me. I crave for more.

PSA to Offer Further Innovative Fan Experiences for 2018-2019 PSA World Championships with Grabyo

During the 2018-2019 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family, the Professional Squash Association (PSA) will serve its global audience by enhancing its social and digital offering through its partnership with Grabyo.


After a successful 2018 campaign, the PSA will build on its recent multi-year broadcast deal with Facebook by further elevating its own social video content. Positioning its social channels as the ‘go-to’ for quality content, the PSA is able to drive subscriptions to its OTT platform, SQUASHTV, to ensure its global fanbase doesn’t miss a shot.


PSA uses Grabyo’s leading cloud video platform to produce advanced live streams for matches and publish real-time highlight clips to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. The association also provides enriching experiences by engaging fans outside of match play, with insightful ‘behind the scenes’ content with players and greatest moments wrap-ups.


During the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, PSA Platinum event in January, the PSA’s video content achieved over 3.5 million views on social media, highlighting consumer appetite for social and mobile video and reflecting the success of its focus on digital video.


Alex Gough, PSA Chief Executive, commented: “Ahead of our showpiece event in Chicago, we wanted to take the next step in our commitment to media innovation. We want to ensure our global fanbase has access to squash no matter where or how they want to watch. We’re excited to continue delivering content that will connect with our fans and grow our fantastic sport.”


Gareth Capon, Grabyo CEO, added: “We’re proud to be a part of such an innovative content offering. PSA’s media strategy is focused and forward-thinking, servicing exactly what fans are looking for, while being well-positioned to scale as digital audiences grow. Digital consumption is the future of sports media, and PSA is a fine example of how to put fans at the heart of everything.”


Grabyo’s Studio platform enables PSA to quickly and easily create, edit and publish video clips to social media moments after they happen - helping to unlock the value of being first to market with video content to reach the vast social audiences who are engaging with video.

PSA also uses Grabyo’s Producer platform to live stream content directly to social media. The live content creates a community-based, shared viewing experience for the online audience. Live commenting and discussion on live video posts increases engagement and creates more memorable moments for fans, increasing viewer loyalty and encouraging customer conversion.

PSA Signs Agreement to Stream Live Squash on Facebook Watch

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) is delighted to announce that the organisation has signed a multi-year agreement with Facebook to bring live matches from the PSA Tour to Facebook Watch. These matches will be available to territories outside of Europe and Japan on a non-exclusive basis.



Live action up until the semi-finals for each tournament will be shown on Facebook Watch, as well as host of additional squash content, including match highlights and feature content. The semi-finals and finals will be shown live on Facebook Watch to territories in the Indian subcontinent only.



The agreement will launch at squash’s pinnacle tournament, the 2018-2019 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family. The tournament takes place between February 23 - March 2 in Chicago and will be the first in the sport’s history to offer up a $1 million prize fund, which is split equally between the men’s and women’s events.


Fans can follow the PSA's Facebook page to get matches added to their Watchlists.



"This exciting partnership with Facebook will greatly enhance squash’s visibility and profile outside of Europe and Japan and we are confident that it will lead to more people watching squash than ever before," said PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough.



"We will now have an even bigger platform to showcase the incredible skill and fitness of our athletes, while squash fans will have the ability to engage with our broadcasts in greater depth through Facebook’s social features, meaning our thriving and passionate community will become even more connected.



"Facebook also has a proven track record in innovation and this mindset perfectly matches squash’s commitment to growth, with numerous improvements made to all aspects of our broadcast programming in recent years. We are looking forward to working with Facebook over the coming years and are excited by the vast potential of this agreement."



Facebook North America Sports Programming Lead, Devi Mahadevia, said: “The PSA has an engaged community on Facebook and a commitment to innovation, which makes it a perfect partner as we continue to build out our sports offerings on Facebook Watch.


"We look forward to working closely with the PSA to help grow the sport of squash by delivering interactive broadcasts that enable fans to watch together in entirely new ways.”


SQUASHTV - the broadcast arm of the PSA - will continue to broadcast all matches from across the PSA Tour via its website www.psaworldtour.com/tv to territories outside of Europe and Japan, both of which are already covered by different broadcast agreements.

Eight-Time World Champion Nicol David to Retire at End of Season

Malaysia’s eight-time World Champion Nicol David has announced that she will call time on her record-breaking career at the end of the 2018/19 season.

The 35-year-old from Penang is one of the most successful squash players of all time and spent an unprecedented nine years at World No.1 between 2006-2015.

In addition to her eight World Championship wins, David also lifted five British Open titles, two Commonwealth Games gold medals, five Asian Games gold medals and three World Games gold medals.

David’s reign atop the PSA World Rankings came to an end in September 2015, but she continued to write her name into the record books, setting a new record for the longest unbroken run inside the world’s top five at 143 months, before staying inside the top 10 for a record 177 months.

Since turning professional in 2000, David has won 81 tour titles and reached 102 finals, winning 567 of her 680 matches on the tour. Her most recent title win came at the Ciudad de Floridablanca in March 2017, when she beat America’s Olivia Blatchford Clyne to take the trophy.

David was also voted as the greatest female squash player of all time in a poll conducted by the Professional Squash Association (PSA) in summer 2018, with squash fans voting in their thousands.


Away from the court, David became the youngest person ever to be awarded the title 'Dato’' from the Penang State Government and in 2008 was honoured with the Order of Merit. The highest order of 'Datuk' from the Federal Government was conferred to David by HRH The King in 2017.

David’s last PSA tournament will either be the Allam British Open, which takes place in Hull between March 20-26, or June’s PSA World Tour Finals, which she will participate in if she qualifies.

"This decision has been thought through for quite some time and I do know that this is my last season," said David.

"My mind and body have battled it out to stay at the very top of my game for such a long time that I feel that I only have this last big push left for the final season to give it all I have before I enter the next phase of my life.

"Competing on tour and being in these amazing venues all around the world is the first thing I’ll miss. However, I’m going to make the most of it over these next few months the best I can. After having time to reflect, I can honestly say that staying at No.1 for nine years in a row is what stands out for me most. I never fully understood it until I was not there anymore. I’m very proud of this achievement.

"I love squash with all my heart, and it will always play an important role in my life, which is why I would like to give back in three ways. By working closely with the Professional Squash Association (PSA) to raise the awareness of our sport globally and to build a support team for our professional squash athletes as they continue to raise the bar on tour.

"By helping the younger Malaysian generation through the Nicol David Foundation, which seeks to empower girls through sport to reach their full potential. And to the people of Malaysia, I will be sharing my story, ‘Nurturing Belief’, through a series of talks and writings.

"Thank you from my heart for the amazing support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Sports Council the Institute of Sport Malaysia, the Penang Sports Council, and all squash associations involved throughout my career - SRAM, SRAP and The Penang Squash Academy. And, of course, my technical and support team with the incredible Liz Irving working with me for 16 wonderful years together – what a great journey it has been.

"Thank you to all my fans, my supporters and my followers for joining me on my journey throughout all these years. I would like to enjoy my last few tournaments together with everyone throughout this campaign, and I would like to encourage all of you to keep on rooting for me. The dream remains."

PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough said: "Nicol is undoubtedly one of the greatest squash players of all time and her presence on the tour will be sorely missed. She has inspired a generation of Malaysian players and will go down in history as one of the most iconic figures ever to pick up a squash racket.

"Nicol has always displayed an exemplary level of professionalism both on and off court and everyone at the PSA wishes her nothing but the best for the future."


David will compete for a ninth - and final - World Championship title later this week at the PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family, which will be held in Chicago’s Union Station between February 23 - March 2.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: CLASSIC ENCOUNTERS

Mohamed ElShorbagy is the reigning men's World Champion

The world’s leading players from both the Men’s and Women’s Tours descend on Chicago next week for the 2018-19 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter family.

This will be the first tournament in squash history to have a million dollar prize pot, which will be spilt equally between the men's and women's draw..

Join us as we take a look back at some classic encounters from over the years.

2017 Men’s World Championship Final: Mohamed ElShorbagy v Marwan ElShorbagy

The 2017 World Championship final was a battle between the two brothers, who were both at the top of their game. Would it be Mohamed or Marwan that came out on top in Manchester?

2017 Women’s World Championship Semi Final: Nour El Sherbini v Nour El Tayeb

Nour El Sherbini and Nour El Tayeb met in the semi finals of the 2017 Women's World Championship in Manchester.

El Sherbini was aiming to reach her fourth final, in the aim of claiming her third title, while El Tayeb was looking to secure her place in a World Championship final for the first time.

2016 Women’s World Championship Final: Nour El Sherbini v Raneem El Welily

Nour El Sherbini came into the 2016 final as the defending champion and the World No.1. Could she retain her crown against compatriot Raneem El Welily?

2016 Men’s World Championship Final: Karim Abdel Gawad v Ramy Ashour

Karim Abdel Gawad went into the 2016 final looking for his first World title. In his way stood three-time World Champion Ramy Ashour.

Could the young star oust the experienced champ?

2015 Women’s World Championship Final: Laura Massaro v Nour El Sherbini

In a rematch of the 2013 final, Laura Massaro and Nour El Sherbini faced off.

Would the Egyptian get her own back on the former World No.1, or could the Englishwoman win a second title?

2014 Men’s World Championship Final: Ramy Ashour v Mohamed ElShorbagy

In a repeat of 2012’s final, Egyptian duo Mohamed ElShorbagy and Ramy Ashour demonstrated an outstanding standard of squash throughout an epic five-game encounter that has gone down in the annals of squash history.

2014 Women's World Championship Final: Nicol David v Raneem El Welily

Nicol David came into the 2014 final looking for a record eighth World Championship title. Raneem El Welily was looking to become the first Egyptian to win the World crown…

2013 Men’s World Championship Final: Nick Matthew v Gregory Gaultier

The last time the tournament was held in Manchester in 2013 saw England’s Nick Matthew and Frenchman Gregory Gaultier go to battle in the final in front of a packed crowd at the National Squash Centre in Manchester.

With twists and turns aplenty, this gruelling final was a superb spectacle and went all the way to five games.

2013 Women’s World Championship Final: Laura Massaro v Nour El Sherbini



Both women came into this World Championship final looking for their first crown. For Sherbini, she had the pressure of Egypt waiting on their first female champion.

Could she do it? Or would the Englishwoman win her first World Championship?

2009 Men’s World Championship Final: Ramy Ashour v Amr Shabana



Egyptian legend Amr Shabana took on defending champion Ashour in this exciting World Championship final.

The match was played at a relentless pace from start to finish, with ‘The Maestro’ and ‘The Artist’ facing off in an absorbing contest.
READ MOREPSA NEWS

CSA Men’s Team National Championships: Day One

Virginia’s Andrew Braff (left) won a critical early victory over Ricardo Machado of Franklin & Marshall at the No. 8 position in a tense 5-4 victory for the Cavaliers (photo credit: Michael T. Bello)

The CSA Men’s Team National Championships kicked off at three locations on Friday with action across seven divisions. Follow full results and play throughout the weekend at the Tournament Page, including live streaming and live scores through Club Locker.

Potter Division

The opening wave of Potter Division matches featured the 3-vs-6 and 2-vs-7 matches of Trinity against Columbia and Rochester against Princeton, respectively.  For the second time this season, Trinity squeezed out a 5-4 victory over Columbia. Trinity’s commanding wins at positions 4, 5, 7, and 9 were backed by a testy 5-game victory for the Bantams’ No. 3, Tom De Mulder.  Princeton grabbed a win in each of the first two waves of matches, but Rochester shut the door with three wins in the final wave to win 7-2.



Top seed Harvard met Dartmouth in the first round while Penn and Yale were set for another battle between conference foes in the 4-vs-5 match-up. The higher seeds held their position in resounding fashion with 7-2 victory for Harvard and an 8-1 win for Penn.

Hoehn Division

As advertised, there was no shortage of drama across all four Hoehn Division quarterfinals.  Each of the four matches ended in a 5-4 scoreline, with three of the four only decided by the last match.  The first wave had both sides of Yale’s Brady Center rocking with 4-4 scores between George Washington and Western Ontario and also St. Lawrence and Cornell.  GW scored the biggest upset of the day when they pulled out the victory, while St. Lawrence held on for the semifinal berth.



The energy stayed up for two Mid-Atlantic rivalries in the second wave.  Drexel repeated their victory over Navy from a week ago, clinching the vital fifth win early only to see Navy close the gap at the No. 1 position.  Top seed in the division, Virginia, met Franklin & Marshall for the third time this season after playing to two hard fought 5-4 victories earlier in the year.  This match was no different, this time with Virginia’s No. 4 Toby Hansford pulling out the fifth victory for the Cavaliers.

Summers Division

The Summers Division played out according to the seeding during the day’s first wave of matches.  The top two seeds – Williams and Middlebury – looked strong in clear 9-0 victories over Tufts and Bowdoin, respectively.  Brown and MIT clinched semifinal berths with identical 6-3 scorelines.  Amherst and Bates pushed both of those teams early in the matches, but the seeds held true as the top four in the division will challenge for the trophy on the weekend.



Conroy Division

The match of the night in the Conroy Division involved two local rivals who know each other very well, Connecticut College and Wesleyan.  Conn won the early season match-up but Wesleyan scored an upset victory earlier this month during the NESCAC Championships.  In the rubber match on Friday evening, the back-and-forth affair came down to the last two matches on court.  Wesleyan’s No. 7 Peter Delalio won handily in 3 games to keep Wesleyan’s chances alive, but Conn’s No. 4 James Andrew clinched the team victory soon thereafter with a 3-1 triumph.



The top two seeds in the division, Dickinson and Colby, handled tests from the top ranked club teams in the Championships, Stanford and Bucknell.  In the Hobart-Haverford match, Haverford scored its lone point during the first wave thanks to No. 6 Alex Liu, but it was all Hobart the rest of the way in an 8-1 victory.

Chaffee Division

Moving over to the action at Wesleyan University, top seed Cal-Berkeley dispatch Bard 8-1, while Hamilton handled an upstart Georgetown squad by a 7-2 score in the 3-vs-6 match with three 5-game victories.  Speaking of upstarts, the 7-seed NYU team put a scare in 2-seed Fordham, taking four of the top five positions on the ladder.  Unfortunately, a retirement by NYU’s No. 2 player ultimately gave Fordham the points it needed to secure the victory.

In another close tie that came down to the final match on court, the 5-seed Northeastern Huskies clinched the upset win over University of Chicago.  Northeastern’s No. 4 Ben Rush got the match-winning point in three games over Chicago’s William Yee.

Serues Division

The seeds held true to form during the second half of the day at Wesleyan, with the four top teams cruising to victories by scores no closer that 6-3.  That 6-3 contest was a rematch of Boston College and Northwestern from a few weeks ago, and BC affirmed the earlier result with another win with a semifinal berth on the line.  Top seed Washington University in St. Louis, Denison, and Richmond will be the other teams vying for the Serues Championship.

Hawthorn Division

With eleven teams in the Hawthorn Division, only the lower six seeds had a match on Friday evening.  The sixth and seventh seeds, Vassar and William & Mary, performed to expectations with relatively smooth victories.  Swarthmore, the 9-seed, however, showed that they have something to prove with a resounding 9-0 win over 8-seed Indiana.  Losing teams Indiana, Johns Hopkins, and Siena will enter a three-way round robin played out tomorrow at Chelsea Piers CT, while winners will fill in the traditional eight-team bracket, which starts first thing tomorrow.

El Welily Anticipating Stern Tests at PSA World Championships

Egypt’s World No.1 Raneem El Welily is relishing the opportunity to defend her World Championship title when the 2018-2019 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family takes place between February 23 – March 2 in Chicago’s Union Station.

128 of the world’s greatest male and female squash players will descend on Chicago for the most prestigious title in squash as they battle for a record prize purse of $1 million, which is the highest in the sport’s history.

El Welily claimed her maiden title last season at the third attempt after beating compatriot and two-time World Champion Nour El Sherbini in the final in Manchester in December 2017 and El Welily is looking forward to having the chance to defend the sport’s biggest title.

“The World Champs is the biggest event of the year,” said the Cairo-based 30-year-old.

“Everyone wants to go there and do their very best every year. We all prepare for the whole season for this one big tournament and it’s everyone’s dream to win the title at least once.

“I was lucky enough last time to grab the title, but it’s the World Champs and you can never have enough of it.”

The 2018-2019 PSA World Championships is the first squash tournament to award a $1 million prize as part of a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Chicago-based Walter family, with the prize money split equally between the male and female athletes.

El Welily believes that the women’s draw is stronger than ever, saying: "Everyone has a chance to win and this year is going to be very exciting. All the players are in top form so far this season and are fighting to win every match.

“It’s always a tournament where you do your best to win. Everyone wants to win it and everyone has a chance.”

Despite going into the tournament as the defending champion, El Welily believes it holds no advantages as she opens her campaign against South Africa’s Alexandra Fuller in round one.

“There is no such thing, in my head, as a defending World Champion. There is, obviously, but everyone is there to win and everyone is there to do their best.”

The 2018-2019 PSA World Championship will take place at Chicago’s Union Station, while matches from rounds one and two will also be held at MetroSquash and the University Club of Chicago.

Matches from Union Station will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only), while the semi-finals and finals will also be shown live on mainstream broadcast channels around the world, including BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.

Tickets are priced from $30 and are available for purchase on Ticketmaster.

For more information on the 2018-2019 PSA World Championships, follow the tournament on Twitter, Facebook or the event’s website

Squash Goes Gold

The World Squash Federation (WSF) and Professional Squash Association (PSA) have today launched an ambitious new campaign – “Squash Goes Gold” – aimed at giving the global squash community the opportunity to take an active part in the sport’s future, including the bid to become part of the Paris 2024 Olympic Gamesprogramme.

Alongside a series of other strategic initiatives launched over the past year, such as the youth-focused SquashFORWARD programme, Squash Goes Gold aims to shape the future of the sport and make it even more innovative, inclusive and sustainable.

Launched ahead of the biggest tournament of the year, the 2018/19 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family – which will see squash played inside Chicago’s Union Station just weeks after the 2019 J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions took place inside Grand Central Terminal in New York in one of world sport’s most unique venues – Squash Goes Gold www.squashgoesgold.com aims to build on the sport’s global growth during the past decade and will allow players and fans of the game in all corners of the world to come together in support of one common goal: seeing squash join the Olympic Games programme.

“Squash is played in some of the most spectacular locations in the world – in front of the Pyramids of Giza, on the harbour-front in Hong Kong, inside Grand Central Terminal in New York – and our ability to showcase the beauty, youth and innovative drive of Paris by setting up an all-glass court anywhere in the city is something few sports can do,”said WSF President Jacques Fontaine.

“Squash Goes Gold will allow the squash community to further unite behind our Olympic campaign and play their active part in helping our sport secure its place at the Olympic Games. As a sport, we pride ourselves on our inclusivity and work hard to provide opportunities for individuals to participate at all levels – playing, officiating, coaching, managing and volunteering. Including the Olympic dream, for those involved in the game at all stages, would be a wonderful addition.”

PSA CEO Alex Gough said: “The Olympic Games is the greatest sporting event in the world and there’s no question that a Gold Medal would be the pinnacle for any squash player.

“As a sport we have made huge strides forward in the past decade; uniting the men’s and women’s professional tours, enabling us to reach parity in men’s and women’s prize money at major events, dramatically improving the sport’s broadcast arm and continuously improving both the spectator and viewer experience.

“Squash is in the best position it has ever been and this campaign will allow the sport’s global player and fan base to get involved with the Paris 2024 bid directly and have their own influence on the future of the sport. A future we hope will see squash featured in Paris in four years’ time.”

France’s top ranked female player Camille Serme (featured in top image with French team-mate and former world No.1 Gregory Gaultier), winner of the World Games and major PSA titles such as the British Open, U.S. Open and Tournament of Champions, is playing a pro-active role within the bid campaign which is aimed to get squash a place on the Paris 2024 sports programme.

Serme said: “The chance to compete in an Olympic Games would be a dream come true – the chance to compete in an Olympic Games in my home city would be unbelievable.

“We already see the squash community coming together in support of our bid and hope that this new campaign will help us collectively propel squash to where it deserves to be – on the biggest sporting stage in the world.”

(Above image showing leading players from around the world (L to R): Camille Serme (France), Nour El Sherbini (Egypt), Miguel Rodriguez (Colombia) and Paul Coll(New Zealand))

Discover how you can help squash’s campaign for the 2024 Olympic Games campaign by going to www.squashgoesgold.com

(Image above showing leading USA player Amanda Sobhy, currently ranked 10 in the world)

Rising Star Todd Set to Feature at Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic

British U23 Open champion Sam Todd has been named as the wildcard at the upcoming Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic, and the 15-year-old says that he is relishing the prospect of appearing at London’s famous East Wintergarden next month.

Todd, the World No.480 from Pontefract, made his PSA debut at the Ashton and Fincher Sutton Coldfield International in November and has also starred on the junior circuit in recent months, with a runner-up finish in the U17 section of the British Junior Open in January.

 

He followed that up by beating Wales’ Elliott Devred to win the British U23 Open less than a month later, and he is hoping he can carry that form into the professional game.

 

"I was thrilled with how I performed during the U23 championships," said Todd.

 

"I’m very happy with my progress though the junior rankings and now it’s a matter of balancing my professional squash career with my junior tournaments."

 

The Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic is one of the most iconic tournaments on the PSA Tour calendar and the trophy has made its way into English hands in 10 of the 15 years that the tournament has been held, with former World No.1s Nick Matthew (6) and James Willstrop (4) sharing the honours.

 

Matthew has now retired, but Willstrop, now ranked at No.16 in the world, will compete in East Wintergarden next month and Todd is looking forward at lining up alongside his fellow Yorkshireman.

 

He said: "I have been watching and supporting the likes of James Willstrop for many years and now have the opportunity to play at that outstanding venue. It will be a massive challenge, but I have no pressure going in and will just enjoy every moment and hopefully play my best squash.

 

"I am super excited to have been picked for the wildcard to play in the biggest tournament of my life."

 

Todd will take on 2016 Citigold Canary Wharf Classic champion Mathieu Castagnet in the opening round of the PSA World Tour Gold event. Defending champion Mohamed ElShorbagy also features in a top-class draw which contains high-profile players such as World No.3 Tarek Momen, World No.4 Simon Rösner and World No.6 Paul Coll.

Citigold Head of Segments and Client Experience, Corinne Feghali, said: "Citigold Wealth Management is proud to sponsor a tournament which supports rising talent. Sam’s name will be firmly on the map after playing against world-class champions like Castagnet. [We wish them the] best of luck in the upcoming games."

 

The 2019 Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic takes place between March 10-15 and will see a best-of-three games format trialled for a second successive year up until the semi-finals.

 

All fixtures from East Wintergarden will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (rest of world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only). Semi-final fixtures will also be shown live on BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia, Astro and other mainstream broadcasters.

 

For more information on the tournament, visit the Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Squash Classic on Twitter or visit the tournament website.

2018-2019 PSA World Championships to Feature interactiveSQUASH Front Wall in Chicago

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) has today announced that the 2018-2019 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family will feature a fully interactive front wall when the tournament takes place at Chicago’s Union Station later this month.

Held between February 23 - March 2, the PSA World Championships is the most prestigious tournament in professional squash and will this year offer up a record $1 million prize purse, which will be split equally between the male and female athletes.

It will also become the first World Championships ever to feature an interactiveSQUASH front wall which enables the tournament to project player stats, replays, entertaining games, visual effects, and sponsor’s content and branding on the playing surface of the all-glass ASB ShowGlassCourt.

The interactiveSQUASH front wall was successfully implemented at last year’s PSA World Series Finals in Dubai and also featured at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games in October 2018, where squash was a showcase sport. Over 25,000 people witnessed squash in the flesh in Buenos Aires, with local attendees getting the opportunity to play a series of new, interactive games on the showpiece court as squash left a lasting impression.

The ability to transfer the front wall into a giant interactive screen is another example of squash’s relentless drive for innovation. In partnership with leading court manufacturer ASB, the PSA and the World Squash Federation (WSF) have already introduced improved court colour schemes, floor cooling ducts and side door entry points in recent years to enhance the player and spectator experience.The latest innovation is a selection of new glass floor options, which will be less affected by weather conditions, will require less maintenance, and will optimise the presentation of individual sponsors.

Furthermore, the introduction of new initiatives such as Video Review and Video Referee, and the integration of real-time heart-rate and tracking data into the live broadcast output, are prime examples of squash’s forward-thinking approach.

"The PSA World Championships is squash’s pinnacle tournament, and we are delighted to be involving interactiveSQUASH in Chicago as we look to make this a tournament to remember," said PSA Chief Operating Officer Lee Beachill.

"We have enjoyed a strong relationship with Markos and his team over the past year. Their commitment to growth and innovation is a mindset which tallies perfectly with that of squash as a whole and we are looking forward to working with them and our court partner ASB further in Chicago.

"Squash has an unparalleled ability to showcase a city’s iconic locations and we believe that the World Championships - which will be staged in Union Station’s Great Hall - will encapsulate that ability perfectly."

interactiveSQUASH founder, Markos Aristides Kern, said: "The main aim of interactiveSQUASH was to help revolutionise the sport and to increase participation, in particular among the younger generation. Having interactiveSQUASH featured in the most prestigious tournament in professional squash, the first offering a record $1 million prize purse, is not only an outstanding achievement for us but is also the confirmation that this system is now a substantial part of a sport which has shown a real commitment to innovation over the past decade.

"We couldn’t be happier with the huge amount of positive feedback we receive everyday from both court owners and players. We are also proud of how our relationship with PSA has been strengthened during the last years. We are convinced that, thanks to this support, we will be able to keep upgrading more courts and converting a great deal of new players into engaged fan and followers of this amazing game.”

Tickets for the PSA World Championships are priced from $30 and are available for purchase on Ticketmaster.

For more information on the 2018-19 PSA World Championships, follow the tournament on Twitter, Facebook or the event’s website.

“For 2024 Squash meets all the Criteria

The following article has been translated from its original source. The original article can be viewed on the Francs Jeux website.

The bid for the inclusion of additional sports for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris is in full swing. The French Organising Committee needs to hand a shortlist containing its recommendation of sports to be included to the IOC in March. This list will be looked into, discussed and might even be amended. The final decision won’t be made before the end of 2020, after the Tokyo Olympics.

After several unsuccessful bids to be included as part of the Olympic programme, squash is regularly mentioned amongst the strongest contestants. The sport has learned the lessons from its previous failures and has progressed. Now, all the arguments are set. Jacques Fontaine, President of the World Squash Federation (WSF), explains all about the Olympic bid to FrancsJeux.

FrancsJeux: Squash has launched its bid to be chosen as an additional sport for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris very early. We are now only a few weeks away from the first shortlist. Can you give us an update?

Jacques Fontaine: We have indeed started our bid early, from 2017, thanks to an agreement between the World Squash Federation (WSF) and the Professional Squash Association (PSA). Its goal was to unify the squash community around the same Olympic ambition and, therefore, to guarantee the attendance of the world’s best players at the Olympic Games, if we are chosen. With the agreement, we have been precursors, which was perceived by the IOC and the French Organising committee.

After that, in January 2019, we met the Paris 2024 team to give them a presentation of our bid. It was also a way to express the unity of the group, because we – WSFmembers – were accompanied by a PSA delegation. Two French players also attended: France No.1 Camille Serme and European Junior Champion Victor Crouin.

They expressed their ambition to gather a medal, especially the gold medal.

FJ: Squash started its inclusion in the Olympic community by being a demonstration sport at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in October 2018. How was this perceived?

JF: Squash’s success at the Youth Olympic Games was above our hopes and expectations. We were actually a bit surprised. Over 25,000 people came by the squash venue.

Within those spectators, some IOC members were very determined to play on the glass court we had set up, which was particularly innovative because it included the interactive wall. The system enables the best players to train, and helps people to discover the sport with a similar approach to the one offered by video games. With this concept, we matched one of the IOC expectations: offer a special activity, a novelty, and appeal to a non-specialised public.

FJ: It is not squash’s first bid. How does the current one different compared to the previous ones?

Gregoire Marche takes on Declan James during the 2018 Open International de Squash de Nantes

JF: We have learnt from the past failures, and we have listened to everyone’s comments. This Olympic bid is truly new. For the first time, all the squash community is united around the same Olympic ambition.

In addition, the innovation brought by the interactive wall is giving to the bid a more modern approach.

FJ: What would the squash competition look like at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games?

JF: It would involve 64 players, with 32 male and 32 female players. We would only need one single court, which would be used for practice and for the competition itself. It would gather all the world’s best players, likely including some of the current best youth French players, in a spectacular and dynamic atmosphere.

FJ: Since the application phase, the Paris 2024 Organising Committee insists on incorporating sustainable sports, with controlled budgets and a limited impact on society. Do these three requirements apply to squash?

JF: Definitely. Concerning the costs, things are very clear: the competition will be played on a single glass court, which only requires a 70m² surface on the ground, and 25 hours to set up and 15 hours to dismantle. The French Squash Federation owns several, and they would lend one to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. If you include 5000 seat stands, the complete squash venue could fit inside a 5-6000m² area.

There are plenty of iconic venues in Paris that could feature this layout, like the Trocadero or the square in front of the Paris town hall. The list is consequential. This layout completely matches with the costs and sustainable stakes.

Concerning heritage, we have anticipated this matter by multiplying contacts with all the towns and counties of the Grand Paris, where the Paris 2024 Olympics would help to develop the sport. For such an urban sport as squash, there would definitely be a before and an after to Paris 2024.

(L-R): Andrew Shelley, WSF Chief Executive; Jean-Denis Barbet, FFSquash President; Tommy Berden, PSA Chief Commercial Officer; Camille Serme, Nine-Time French National Champion and Six-Time European Individual Champion; Jacques Fontaine, WSF President; Pablo Serna, WSF General Secretary, and PSA Board Member; Victor Crouin, European Junior Champion; Alex Gough, PSA Chief Executive Officer

Canada Cup Squash Main Draw Released

New Zealand’s World No.6 Paul Coll will headline a high-quality draw at the Troilus Canada Cup Squash, with the PSA Silver tournament taking place in Toronto between March 3-7 after the main draw was released today.

This season’s Canada Cup Squash tournament will be the biggest PSA tournament in the country’s history with a total prize purse of $81,500 on offer.

"It will be our 12th year running, and second year as a PSA event. We look forward to continue growing and showcasing squash in Canada", said Tournament Director, Shahier Razik.

26-year-old Coll has enjoyed a strong season so far, reaching the semi-finals of two PSA Platinum tournaments - the U.S. Open and Black Ball Squash Open, as well as a runner-up finish at the China Squash Open.

The Kiwi, who along with the other top eight seeds receives a bye into round two, is seeded on the same side of the draw as the likes of Egypt’s World No.9 Mohamed Abouelghar, England’s former World No.12 Tom Richards and Hong Kong’s Tsz Fung Yip.

Coll will begin his tournament against either England’s Nathan Lake or Adrian Waller, depending on who comes out on top in their round one clash.

Seeded at the opposite end of the draw is Egypt’s World No.8 Marwan ElShorbagy. The Egyptian is seeded to meet Peru’s World No.10 Diego Elias in the semi-finals, but will first have to navigate a draw that includes the likes of England’s Declan James and last season’s tournament runner-up Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly.

ElShorbagy will open against either Malaysia’s Ivan Yuen or Egypt’s Omar Abdel Meguid in his opening match in Toronto.

Home interest comes in the form of Canada’s World No.89 Michael McCue, who resides in Toronto and takes the wildcard spot. He will face Egypt’s Karim Ali Fathi in round one.

Tickets can be purchased through the venues and more information on the event can be found at the tournament’s website: https://www.canadacupsquash.com/ or you can follow them on Facebook.



Main Draw: Troilus Canada Cup Squash

[1] Paul Coll (NZL) [Bye]

Nathan Lake (ENG) v [9/16] Adrian Waller (ENG)

[9/16] Arturo Salazar (MEX) v Joshua Masters (ENG)

[6] Tom Richards (ENG) [Bye]

[8] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) [Bye]

Rex Hedrick (AUS) v [9/16] Campbell Grayson (NZL)

[9/16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v Tayyab Aslam (PAK)

[3] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) [Bye]

[4] Diego Elias (PER) [Bye]

[WC] Michael McCue (CAN) v [9/16] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY)

[9/16] Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) v Todd Harrity (USA)

[7] Declan James (ENG) [Bye]

[5] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) [Bye]

Ben Coleman (ENG) v [9/16] Cesar Salazar (MEX)

[9/16] Ivan Yuen (MAS) v Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY)

[2] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) [Bye]

WORLD’S BEST TO LINE UP IN ZURICH FOR GRASSHOPPER CUP

A world-class draw, featuring eight of the world’s top 10 players, will line up at Zurich’s Halle 622 between March 26-31 as the battle for the prestigious Grasshopper Cup, PSA World Tour Gold title commences.

Current World No.1 and World Champion Mohamed ElShorbagy – who finished as runner-up to fellow Egyptian Ramy Ashour last year – tops the draw ahead of 2017 runner-up Ali Farag, World No.3 Tarek Momen and World No.4 Simon Rösner.

2016 World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad, British Open champion Miguel Rodriguez, 2016 Grasshopper Cup winner Marwan ElShorbagy and World No.9 Mohamed Abouelghar all feature, while former World No.1 James Willstrop and 2012 winner Daryl Selby will also be involved.

The top eight seeds receive a bye into round two, where ElShorbagy and Willstrop are seeded to meet for the 23rd time on the PSA Tour.

Home favourite Nicolas Mueller will get his tournament under way in round one against Hong Kong’s Tsz Fung Yip. Zurich-based Mueller, 29, has taken ElShorbagy, Ashour and Rösner all the way to five games in recent years and he will play Abouelghar in the last 16 if he can overcome Yip.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming a world-class draw to Zurich for what promises to be the best ever edition of the Grasshopper Cup,” said Tournament Promoter Steve Buchli.

“The Grasshopper Cup has long held a reputation as one of the most prestigious tournaments in Europe, and spectators at Halle 622 can look forward to six days of high-octane action.”

A record prize purse of $109,000 will be up for grabs, while the first round of the event will be held at the Squash Arena Uster.

Fixtures from the second round onwards will take place on the all-glass court at Halle 622 and will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world) and Eurosport Player (right). First round action will be streamed live through the PSA SQUASHTV YouTube channel.

For more information on the Grasshopper Cup, follow the tournament on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or visit their website, where tickets are still available for purchase.

Main Draw – 2019 Grasshopper Cup
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) (bye)
Borja Golan (ESP) v [9/16] James Willstrop (ENG)
[9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY) v George Parker (ENG)
[6] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) (bye)
[5] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) (bye)
[WC] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) v [9/16] Max Lee (HKG)
[9/16] Daryl Selby (ENG) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
[4] Simon Rösner (GER) (bye)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) (bye)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v [9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND)
[9/16] Declan James (ENG) v Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
[7] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) (bye)
[8] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) (bye)
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v [9/16] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG)
[9/16] Joel Makin (WAL) v Gregoire Marche (FRA)
[2] Ali Farag (EGY) (bye)

DISCIPLINARY UPDATE

The following players have been suspended, fined or warned about their future behaviour following breaches of the PSA Code of Conduct.

Eric Galvez (MEX)
Offence: Breach of PSA Code of Conduct 3.G. ‘Cumulative Off-Site Offences’
Action: Player suspended for three months

George Parker (ENG)
Offence: Breach of PSA Code of Conduct 4.L. ‘Abuse of Racket or Equipment’ during the 2019 J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions.
Action: Player suspended for one month.

Carlos Cornes Ribadas (ESP)
Offence: Breach of PSA Code of Conduct 4.M. ‘Verbal Abuse’ during the 2018 IMET Open.
Breach of PSA Code of Conduct 4.K. ‘Abuse of Ball’ and 4.R. ‘Accommodation’ during the 2018 IMET Open.
Action: Player warned about future conduct

Jasmine Hutton (ENG)
Offence: Breach of PSA Code of Conduct Article 4.L. ‘Abuse of Racket or Equipment’ during the 2018 2nd PwC Open.
Action: Player fined £40

BRITISH NATIONAL SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIPS LIVE ON SQUASHTV

Both the men’s and women’s draws for the AJ Bell British National Squash Championships have now been announced with some mouthwatering matches in store at the tournament, which will take place from February 12-17.

The tournament will be shown live on SQUASHTV for free to digital subscribers and also on the PSA World Tour Facebook page, for all countries, when the main draw takes place February 14-17.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist James Willstrop and former national champion Daryl Selby, ranked 16 and 17 in the world, respectively, are seeded to meet in the men's final.

Former World.No.1 and two-time champion Willstrop kicks off his campaign against a qualifier, with a potential semi-final clash against local favourite Declan James, the World No.20. Willstrop will first have to overcome the powerful George Parker in the quarter-finals whilst James will need to navigate past Scottish number one Greg Lobban.

25-year-old James will be looking to replicate his performance at the season-opening Open International de Squash de Nantes, which saw him sensationally edge top seed Willstrop in a five-game final.

On the opposite side of the draw, 2011 champion Selby gets his tournament under way against a qualifier and is predicted to meet Guernsey's Chris Simpson in the quarters before going head-to-head with long-time rival and friend Tom Richards, seeded 3/4 in the semis.

Meanwhile, England’s No.1 Sarah-Jane Perry has pulled out of the women’s event due to injury.

Perry's withdrawal means Laura Massaro becomes top seed with Alison Waters moving to number two seed, setting up the prospect of a mouth-watering final between the four-time champions. Julianne Courtice moves up as 5/8 seed and Kace Bartley is granted a main draw berth.

Sarah-Jane said: “Whilst my recovery is going well, it was always going to be tight on time to be match fit. Unfortunately, I’m not quite where I would want to be so won’t be able to play. However, I am expecting to be fit for the World Champs onwards and look forward to being back next year.”

Qualifying round takes place between 12th and 13th February at Nottingham Squash Rackets Club (NSRC). Round one commences on Thursday 14th February at NSRC and the University of Nottingham.

AJ Bell British National Squash Championships 2019: Men’s First Round
[1] James Willstrop (Eng) v Qualifier
[6] George Parker (Eng) v Nathan Lake (Eng)
[5] Greg Lobban (Sco) v Qualifier
[3] Declan James (Eng) v Richie Fallows (Eng)
[4] Tom Richards (Eng) v Charlie Lee (Eng)
[8] Adrian Waller (Eng) v Qualifier
[7] Chris Simpson (Eng) v Josh Masters (Eng)
[2] Daryl Selby (Eng) v Qualifier

Revised main draw – AJ Bell British National Squash Championships 2019: Women's 1st Round
[1] Laura Massaro (Eng) v Alison Thomson (Sco)
[5/8] Millie Tomlinson (Eng) v Qualifier
[5/8] Julianne Courtice (Eng) v Sarah Campion (Eng)
¾ Victoria Lust (Eng) v Qualifier
¾ Tesni Evans (Wal) v Qualifier
[5/8] Emily Whitlock (Eng) v Kace Bartley (Eng)
[5/8] Fiona Moverley (Eng) v Lucy Turmel (Eng)
[2] Alison Waters (Eng) v Qualifier

ElShorbagy Excited to Begin World Championship Title Defence in Chicago

Egypt’s World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy is gearing up to defend his World Championship title when the 2018-19 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family takes place between February 23 – March 2 in Chicago’s Union Station.

128 of the world’s greatest male and female squash players will descend on Chicago for the most prestigious title in squash as they battle for a record prize purse of $1 million, which is the highest in the sport’s history.

The 28-year-old, who claimed his maiden PSA World Championship title last season, will lead the men’s draw and is looking forward to being back in the city that has served him well in the past.

“It’s obviously the biggest tournament in the calendar,” said ElShorbagy.

“It took me a while to win it, which just shows how big a title it is and how much pressure you play under.

“I’m really excited to be back in Chicago again, it’s always been a great city for me and I’ve always played well there. I’m just really looking forward to being back.”

ElShorbagy will line up against the world’s best players, including the likes of compatriots Ali Farag and Tarek Momen, Germany’s Simon Rösner and Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez, as they battle out to be crowned the best player in the world.

Last season, ElShorbagy defeated younger brother, Marwan, in an epic five-game battle in the final and the World No.1 is ready for the challenge this year’s tournament will bring.

“It’s a tournament where all the players play at their best and aim to peak there, so I hope we get a lot of exciting matches,” he said.

“The tournament has a lot of history. Every time you walk on court being introduced as a World Champion it has a different vibe to it. When I won it, I just felt like it was something huge. It’s the biggest thing you can win in sport.

“It’s a different preparation to play this tournament - in terms of things you do and mentally. It’s always interesting to see how players cope with it and I’m interested to see how I will cope with it this year as well.

“I’ll be defending it for the first time in my life, so it will be a different experience for me and I’m looking forward to see what I’m going to offer there.”

The 2018-19 PSA World Championships is the first squash tournament to award a $1 million prize as part of a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Chicago-based Walter family and ElShorbagy believes that it is a big step for the sport.

“We are lucky that they appreciate us as athletes. They put up the prize money last year for the Windy City Open to make it the biggest Platinum event and this season they are making it the biggest prize money in the sport’s history and we’re very thankful to them.

“They have always tried to push the sport to another level and it’s a big step for our sport to push it forward and hopefully other tournaments can take note from what’s happening in Chicago.”

The 2018-19 PSA World Championship will take place at Chicago’s Union Station, while matches from rounds one and two will also be held at MetroSquash and the University Club of Chicago.

Matches from Union Station will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only), while the semi-finals and finals will also be shown live on mainstream broadcast channels around the world, including BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.

Tickets are priced from $30 and are available for purchase on  Ticketmaster.

For more information on the 2018-19 PSA World Championships, follow the tournament on Twitter, Facebook or the event’s website.

King and ElShorbagy claim Hong Kong Open titles

New Zealand’s Joelle King and Egypt’s Mohamed ElShorbagy are the 2018 Everbright Sun Hung Kai Hong Kong Squash Open champions after they claimed respective wins over Raneem El Welily and Ali Farag at Hong Kong Park Sports Centre.

World No.7 King has lifted the first PSA World Tour Platinum trophy of her career after a sublime performance from the 30-year-old saw her defeat World No.2 and 2017 runner-up Raneem El Welily by an 11-4, 12-10, 19-17 scoreline.


The Kiwi dominated proceedings in the opening game and was able to see out the second on the tie-break to put one hand on the trophy. El Welily – who will become World No.1 on December 1 – came out firing in a captivating third game as she looked to avoid defeat in the final of this tournament for a fourth time.

But it was King who came out on top to capture the 12th PSA Tour title of her career, while she becomes the first New Zealander since Carol Owens at the Tournament of Champions in 2003 to win a Platinum tournament.


“I’m just extremely happy to win my first platinum event ever,” said King, who qualifies for the season-ending PSA World Tour Finals as a result.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet, but to be on a stage like this, with such great fans means a lot. I just want to go on from here and keep playing good squash.

“I just kept thinking that it’s the last match of the tournament – just leave it all out there. Raneem is such a tough competitor and she showed in the third why she is No.1. She just kept coming back at me and never let it go until the end.”


Meanwhile, men’s World No.1 ElShorbagy has captured his fourth Hong Kong Open title after dismantling World No.2 Farag 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 in a repeat of last year’s final.

ElShorbagy and Farag had shared the spoils from the first two Platinum events of the season between them, with ElShorbagy winning the October’s U.S. Open and Farag triumphing at the Qatar Classic earlier this month.


But ElShorbagy was a class apart in Hong Kong as he powered to the 35th PSA title of his career – a total sees him move up to joint eighth in the all-time PSA title winners list, level with the legendary Nick Matthew.

“I’m really pleased to be able to come here and play my best squash,” said ElShorbagy.

“It’s always great when it all comes together. I’m really proud of my performance but not to take anything away from Ali, I have nothing but respect for him. He came to the tour later than all of us and came up the rankings very fast. Very few people can do what he did and he’s coming after me, but I’m trying to hold him a little bit.

“We’ve played twice already this season, he beat me once and now I’ve beaten him. I’m sure we will have many more battles and compete in more finals.”


ElShorbagy and King both take home almost $23,000 in prize money after the Hong Kong Open this year became the final joint Platinum event to commit to equal prize money.

The next Platinum tournament will be the CIB Black Ball Squash Open which takes place in Cairo between 3rd and 9th of December.

Men’s Final: 2018 Everbright Sun Hung Kai Hong Kong Squash Open
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) 3-0 [2] Ali Farag (EGY)  11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (39m)

Women’s Final: 2018 Everbright Sun Hung Kai Hong Kong Squash Open
[5] Joelle King (NZL) 3-0 [2] Raneem El Welily (EGY)  11-4, 12-10, 19-17 (48m)

Tickets on Sale for 2019 Allam British Open

Tickets are on sale now for the 2019 Allam British Open, with the best squash players in the world set to appear at the University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre between May 20-26.

The British Open is the sport’s longest-running and most established tournament and has become one of the most recognised tournaments on the PSA Tour calendar since its first edition in 1929.

Some of the greatest squash players in history have had their names adorned on the coveted trophy, such as Pakistan’s Jahangir Khan, Irishman Jonah Barrington, England’s Nick Matthew, Malaysia’s Nicol David, Australia’s Heather McKay and Egypt’s Nour El Sherbini.

The ‘Wimbledon of Squash’ will take place in Hull for a seventh consecutive year, with the action moving to the University of Hull’s new sports complex for the 2019 instalment.

Defending champions Miguel Rodriguez and El Sherbini will return alongside stars such as World No.1s Mohamed ElShorbagy and Raneem El Welily, and home favourites James Willstrop and Laura Massaro in what looks set to be one of the defining weeks of the PSA Tour season.

"The British Open is one of the marquee tournaments on the PSA Tour and some of the greatest squash matches in history have been staged at the ‘Wimbledon of Squash’," said Tournament Promoter Tim Garner.

"The tournament has found a real base in Hull and we are confident that holding the tournament at the University of Hull will help us take the event to the next level. We hope that squash fans from across the country can join us to watch the action unfold."

Tickets start from £10 and are available for purchase via  Ticketmaster .

PSA World Rankings : February 2019

MEN: Coll rises to Career-High ranking as Gaultier’s record streak ends
New Zealand’s Paul Coll has risen to a career-high ranking of World No.6 in the PSA Men’s World Rankings for February.

Coll, the highest ranked Kiwi male since Ross Norman in 1993, reached the quarter-finals of the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions at New York’s Grand Central Terminal in January. As a result, the 26-year-old has risen a place to overtake Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez, who moves down to No.7.

Meanwhile, Frenchman Gregory Gaultier has seen his record 154-month unbroken run inside the world’s top 10 come to an end after the 36-year-old fell three places to No.12.

Gaultier, a former World No.1 and World Champion, has been out of action since October due to knee surgery, and he is replaced inside the top 10 by Peru’s Diego Elias.

Egypt’s Mohamed ElShorbagy stays atop the rankings for a 12th consecutive month, but he is guaranteed to lose top spot to World No.2 Ali Farag on March 1st. ElShorbagy’s ranking points for the Windy City Open – which he won – will expire at the end of this month, meaning Farag’s points average will be higher going into March.

Tarek Momen makes it an all-Egyptian top three after overtaking Germany’s Simon Rösner, while Karim Abdel Gawad completes the top five. ElShorbagy’s younger brother, Marwan, and Mohamed Abouelghar take the other spots inside the top 10.

India’s Saurav Ghosal rises a place to a joint career-high No.11 ranking, with Omar Mosaad moving up four places to No.13. Hong Kong’s Max Lee drops a place to No.14, while Germany’s Raphael Kandra stays at No.15.

England’s former World No.1 James Willstrop remains at No.16 ahead of compatriot Daryl Selby, with Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly dropping four places to No.18.

Welshman Joel Makin rises four spots to No.19 – marking the first time he has featured inside the top 20 – with England’s Declan James claiming the final spot inside the top 20.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s three-time World Champion Ramy Ashour has fallen 11 places to No.35. The 31-year-old hasn’t featured on the PSA Tour since March 2018 due to a knee injury and he now resides at his lowest ranking since January 2006.

Women: King rises to top three
New Zealand’s Joelle King has claimed a career-high ranking of World No.3 in the PSA Women’s World Rankings for February.

Cambridge-based King, 30, has been in superb form this season after claiming her first ever PSA Platinum title, the Hong Kong Open in November. She followed that up with a semi-final finish at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions last month in New York to move ahead of Egypt’s Nour El Tayeb.

Reigning World Champion Raneem El Welily stays at No.1 ahead of her World Championship title defence this month, while Tournament of Champions winner Nour El Sherbini remains at No.2. France’s Camille Serme completes the top five.

English trio Sarah-Jane Perry, Laura Massaro and Alison Waters stay at No.6, No.7 and No.9, respectively, with Egypt’s Nouran Gohar remaining at No.8.

United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy returns to the top 10. The 25-year-old was ranked as high as No.6 in the world before an achilles injury sustained in March 2017, and she will now celebrate her highest ranking since September of that year.

As a result, Wales’ Tesni Evans drops out of the top 10 and is followed by Hong Kong’s Annie Au (No.12), Egypt’s Salma Hany (No.13), India’s Joshna Chinappa (No.14) and England’s Victoria Lust (No.15).

Hong Kong’s Joey Chan moves up a spot to No.16, ahead of Egypt’s Yathreb Adel, Hania El Hammamy (No.18) Olivia Blatchford Clyne (No.19) and Emily Whitlock, who returns to the top 20 after three months outside.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s eight-time World Champion Nicol David has dropped eight places to No.21, marking the first time since November 2003 that she hasn’t featured inside the top 20.