Sabrina makes it a US Top Twenty Trio
The PSA Women’s World Rankings will feature three US women inside the top 20 for the first time in history after Long Island-born Sabrina Sobhy moved up two spots to join older sister Amanda and New York’s Olivia Clyne in the January 2021 list.
Sobhy, who turned 24 two days ago, reached the second round of the CIB Black Ball Squash Open last month in Cairo, Egypt, beating Egypt’s Salma Hany in round one to claim her first ever win over a top 10 player.
She now sits joint 20th with Canada’s Hollie Naughton, joining World No.7 Amanda and World No.13 Clyne amongst the world’s elite.
Egypt’s Nour El Sherbini begins 2021 at World #1 in what is the third time she has begun a new year at the summit of the World Rankings.
She is followed by fellow Egyptian Nouran Gohar, while France’s Camille Serme leapfrogs Nour El Tayeb – who last month announced that she is expecting a child – to break back into the top three.
Black Ball Open runner-up Hania El Hammamy stays at #5, while the woman she lost to in the final, England’s Sarah-Jane Perry, remains at #6. New Zealand’s Joelle King, Wales’ Tesni Evans and Hany are the other members of the top 10 along with Amanda Sobhy.
The rest of the top 20 is unchanged. Joshna Chinappa sits just outside the top 10 and is followed by Nele Gilis, Clyne, Rowan Elaraby, Yathreb Adel , Alison Waters, Nadine Shahin, Tinne Gilis and Nada Abbas.
The biggest mover on the women’s tour this month is Switzerland’s Fabienne Oppliger, who rose 67 places to World No.210 after reaching the quarter-finals of the Sihltal Classic last month.
Dessouky returns to top ten
Egypt’s Fares Dessouky will feature in the top 10 of the PSA Men’s World Rankings for the first time since November 2017 after the 26-year-old moved up three places to #8 in the January rankings.
Dessouky ended 2020 by coming back from two games down against World #1 Ali Farag to capture the CIB Black Ball Squash Open title last month, the biggest of his career.
Farag begins 2021 at World #1 – just as he did in 2020 – and he is followed by Mohamed ElShorbagy, Tarek Momen, Paul Coll and Karim Abdel Gawad in the top five.
Marwan ElShorbagy, Diego Elias,, Joel Makin and Miguel Rodriguez all retain their places inside the top 10.
As a result of Simon Rösner’s retirement, several players have enjoyed a one-place increase to their World Ranking. Mohamed Abouelghar rises to No.11, while World Junior Champion Mostafa Asal enjoys a two-place increase to a career-high No.12.
Saurav Ghosal stays at No.13, while the remaining members of the top 20 move up a spot. Rösner’s retirement means Mexicos’ Cesar Salazar returns to the top 20 for the first time since February 2018, with the other places taken up by Mazen Hesham (No.14), Gregoire Marche (No.15), Omar Mosaad (No.16), James Willstrop (No.17), Zahed Salem (No.18) and Adrian Waller (No.19).
Kuwait’s Abdullah Al Muzayen is the biggest mover on the men’s tour, rising 195 places to World No.454. Meanwhile, Qatar’s Salem Al Malki enjoyed a 147-place rise to World #311 after reaching the semi-finals of the QSF 4 last month.
