… and did pretty well… Fares Dessouky, Low Wee Wern, Mazen Hesham and SarahJane Perry came back in force this season….
FARES DESSOUKY
World Ranking: No.15
Last season’s best: CCI International runner-up, El Gouna International semi-finalist
Played: 21 – Won: 14 – Lost: 7 – Win Percentage: 66.7%
Fearless Fares made his return to the PSA Tour this season following a serious injury lay-off, after he tore his ACL at the Hong Kong Open back in 2017.
He dropped as low as No.606 in the World Rankings before returning to action in January’s CCI International. Dessouky went on to reach the final in India, losing to World No.3 Tarek Momen in the final.
That tournament set the platform for a strong second-half of the season for the Egyptian. Dessouky secured last16 finishes at the Tournament of Champions and at the coveted PSA World Champs in Chicago.
Quarter-finalist at the Canary Wharf Classic, he reached the last four stage of the El Gouna International, where he also knocked out former World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy during his strongest performance in Egypt.
Dessouky finished the season as World No.15 and will be looking to break back into the top ten and get back to his career-high ranking of No.8, where he was before his injury.
World Ranking: No.24
Last season’s best: (Malaysian Open, City of Devonport Tasmanian Open), Australian Open, Q Open, Singapore Open
Played: 28 – Won: 23 – Lost: 5 – Win Percentage: 82.1%
Malaysia’s Low Wee Wern has endured a tough few years suffering with serious injuries that led to her having three surgeries. However, the former World No.5 announced her comeback to the tour in incredible circumstances, winning her first four titles back-to-back.
Low, who was in the top 10 in the women’s World Rankings prior to injury, came back onto the tour for the first time in two years at July’s Malaysian Open, where she was a qualifier and tore through the draw to defeat Japan’s Satomi Watanabe in straight-games in the final.
Later that month the Malaysian stormed to victory once again, this time at the City of Devonport Tasmanian Open, when she defeated Australia’s former World No.1 and tournament top seed Rachael Grinham in the final.
The Malaysian’s return to action continued to go from strength-to-strength as Low formally got her 2018-19 season under way in August with success at the Australian Open, shortly followed up by another title, this time at the Q Open, again held in Australia.
Low picked up her final title of the season at the Singapore Open, before finishing the season with a runner-up finish at the Macau Open.
The 28-year-old Malaysian began the season at World No.252 in July before rising all the way up to World No.24 as she continues to show that she is getting back to her best.
World Ranking: No.24
Played: 22 – Won: 11 – Lost: 11 – Win Percentage: 50%
Amazing Mazen is regarded as one of the most talented players on the men’s tour, but has suffered from injuries disrupting his form in recent seasons.
Towards the latter stages of the 2018-19 season, the talented shot maker showed he was having a resurgence in form.
The former World No.13 started the season outside the top 30, before a string of good performances, including a particularly strong run at the British Open in Hull saw him break back into the top 30 in the world and finish the season as World No.24.
Hesham advanced to his first major PSA quarter-final since November 2015 after he got the better of France’s Lucas Serme by a 3-1 scoreline at the British Open in May.
The 25-year-old Egyptian looked to be back towards his best as he scalped World No.8 Diego Elias in the previous round and followed that up with victory over Serme. The Egyptian went on to face New Zealand’s Paul Coll, who he pushed all the way to five-games in a thrilling battle before falling to a narrow defeat.
Hesham will be keen to pick up where he left off after the summer as he looks to make a mark in the men’s tour once again.
SARAH-JANE PERRY
The 2018-2019 season was split into two parts for England No.1 Sarah-Jane Perry, after she required surgery on her right arm following the Hong Kong Open in November.
The World No.7 spent a couple of months away from the sport, before making her return at the World Champs in Chicago in February, and she is happy with the way she came back.
“It’s been a unique season in many respects. I’ve certainly played my best squash to date and I’m pleased with how I’ve fought my way back since the operation but I’ve not had the consistency I’ve come to expect from myself,” Perry admitted.
The Englishwoman tasted victory in her first tournament, as she retained her San Francisco Open, beating Raneem El Welily in the final.
She won the final in San Francisco 3-2 for the second year running, having overcome eight-time World Champion Nicol David in the final in 2017, and she says that there is just something about San Fran.
“There’s obviously something about San Fran that makes me feel at home and play well there,” she explained.
“It has emotional memories from the previous year so it’s an extremely special place to me too. The quality of the opponents I had to play to defend my title this season just adds to that also.”
Despite her victory in the States, Perry believes that her victory over three-time, and current, World Champion Nour El Sherbini in Hull was her best outing in 2018-2019.
“Taking everything into account, my quarter final win over Nour El Sherbini at the British Open. Proving to myself that I could play to my pre injury level and that my win in Hong Kong wasn’t a complete fluke!” she said.
The off-season is all about making sure that her right arm is fully fit and ready to go for the next campaign, and Perry will also be looking towards a couple of big goals for the new season.
I will be taking some time off to reset and get a clear focus of my goals or ambitions for next season,” she explained.
“I was getting sharper and sharper towards the end of the season so I’ll definitely be looking to improve my physicality and be fitter, faster and stronger come September!”
“There will be some process goals along the way to be set during the summer but the overarching goals remain as reaching the top four and the priority tournament will be the World Championships at the Pyramids.”
