May World Rankings

Dessouky returns to top 20 in May World Rankings

A semi-final finish at last week’s El Gouna International Squash Open has seen Egypt’s Fares Dessouky rise 24 places to World No.18 in the PSA Men’s World Rankings for May.

Dessouky, a former World No.8, had been ranked outside of the top 20 for 12 months as he recovered from a torn ACL sustained in November 2017.

The 24-year-old was in fine form in El Gouna as he beat the likes of World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy and World No.7 Miguel Rodriguez en route to the semi-finals as he reached the last four of a PSA Platinum tournament for the first time in two years.

Eventual El Gouna International winner Ali Farag tops the men’s rankings for a third successive month ahead of ElShorbagy, while Tarek Momen ensures that it’s an all-Egyptian top three for a fourth month in a row.

El Gouna finalist Karim Abdel Gawad moves up two places to No.4, while Germany’s Simon Rösner completes the top five.

New Zealand’s Paul Coll drops a place to No.6, with Colombia’s Rodriguez staying at No.7. Peru’s Diego Elias rises to a career-high No.8 ranking after winning the Macau Open in April. He swaps places with Egypt’s Mohamed Abouelghar, while India’s Saurav Ghosal stays at No.10.

Egypt’s Omar Mosaad rises a place to No.11, with Welshman Joel Makin rising three spots to a career-high No.12 ranking. Germany’s Raphael Kandra also reaches a career-high ranking, moving up one place to No.13, to sit ahead of Egyptian Zahed Salem and England’s Declan James, the latter of whom moves up to a career-high No.15 ranking.

Frenchman Gregoire Marche is the fifth player in the top 20 to reach a career-high ranking this month as he moves up two spots to No.16. Former World No.1 James Willstrop, Dessouky, Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly and England’s Daryl Selby complete the top 20.

Meanwhile, former World Champion Gregory Gaultier has dropped out of the top 20 for the first time since April 2003. The Frenchman hasn’t played on the PSA Tour since October 2018 due to surgery on a knee injury and has fallen 13 places to No.26.

Egypt’s Marwan ElShorbagy also drops out of the top 20, and is at his lowest ranking since April 2014 after falling 10 places to No.21.

 

Sobhy breaks back into Women’s Top 10

United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy has risen four places to sit at World No.8 in the PSA Women’s World Rankings for May.

Sobhy, the 25-year-old Harvard-graduate from Boston, last week reached her first PSA World Tour Platinum semi-final since rupturing her achilles in March 2017, with a run to the last four of the El Gouna International Squash Open.

Sobhy, who beat World No.3 Nour El Tayeb and World No.10 Laura Massaro en route to the semis, has returned to the top 10 after a two-month absence.

Meanwhile, El Gouna International champion Raneem El Welily remains at World No.1 for a sixth successive month ahead of World No.2 Nour El Sherbini. El Tayeb stays at No.3 ahead of France’s Camille Serme, who has cut the gap on the Egyptian to just 20 points. New Zealand’s Joelle King rounds off the top five.

England’s Sarah-Jane Perry stays at No.6 ahead of El Gouna runner-up Nouran Gohar. Wales’ Tesni Evans drops to No.9, while England’s Massaro drops two spots to No.10, her lowest ranking since May 2008.

Hong Kong’s Annie Au drops a spot to No.11, while Alison Waters falls two places to No.12. England’s Victoria Lust stays at No.13, with Egypt’s Salma Hany (No.14) and India’s Joshna Chinappa completing the top 15.

Yathreb Adel rises two places to a career-high No.16 ranking to sit ahead of fellow Egyptian Hania El Hammamy.

Malaysia’s former World No.1 Nicol David moves up a place to No.18. David, 35, spent an unprecedented nine years atop the World Rankings between 2006-2015 and will make her final appearance in the rankings this month as she brings a trophy-laden career to a close at the Allam British Open between May 20-26.

Hong Kong’s Joey Chan drops two places to No.19, while America’s Olivia Blatchford Clyne completes the top 20.