ToC title holder Amr Shabana back at number three at the age of 35
By Squash Mad Reporter
Egyptian Mohamed Elshorbagy has maintained his grasp on the coveted squash World No.1 slot for a third consecutive month to ensure he begins 2015 as the world’s highest ranked player.
The Alexandria-born powerhouse who is based in Bristol, England, topped the charts for the first time in his career in November 2014.
Aged 23, he remains narrowly in front of previous incumbent, Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, ahead of the first PSA World Series event of the year, the iconic J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, which takes place in New York’s Grand Central Terminal from January 16.
Four-time world champion Amr Shabana, the 35-year-old Egyptian winner of the 2014 Tournament of Champions, rises up to world No.3, his highest ranking since October 2010, leapfrogging England’s three-time world champion Nick Matthew in the process, while 2014 world champion Ramy Ashour retains his place at No.5.
Colombian Miguel Angel Rodriguez has become the first South American player ever to break into the elite top 10 list, rising four places from No.12 to No.8 following an impressive end-of-year run in which he reached the semi-finals in three consecutive PSA International events.
Rodriguez finds himself in between Egyptian pairing Tarek Momen, celebrating his highest-ever placing at No.7, and Omar Mosaad, who returns to No.9 after a 13-month spell outside of the top 10, with German Simon Rösner maintaining his grasp on the world No.10 berth.
Those movements mean that James Willstrop drops down three places to 11, moving out of the top 10 for the first time since September 2009, with Spanish star Borja Golan dropping five places to No.12, his first non-top 10 position for more than two years.
South African Stephen Coppinger celebrates his return to the top 20, securing the world No.18 position, while Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet moves up one place to No.13 after reaching the final of the AJ Bell British Squash Grand Prix in December.
PSA Rankings January 2015 – Top 20
RANK NAME NATION POINTS UP/DOWN
1 Mohamed Elshorbagy EGY 1385.000 =
2 Gregory Gaultier FRA 1266.000 =
3 Amr Shabana EGY 843.500 ↑1
4 Nick Matthew ENG 830.500 ↓1
5 Ramy Ashour EGY 808.500 =
6 Peter Barker ENG 573.500 =
7 Tarek Momen EGY 491.000 ↑2
8 Miguel Angel Rodriguez COL 457.000 ↑4
9 Omar Mosaad EGY 435.000 ↑2
10 Simon Rösner GER 429.000 =
11 James Willstrop ENG 427.500 ↓3
12 Borja Golan ESP 422.500 ↓5
13 Mathieu Castagnet FRA 368.500 ↑2
14 Daryl Selby ENG 367.500 ↓1
15 Marwan Elshorbagy EGY 337.500 =
16 Max Lee HKG 296.500 =
17 Cameron Pilley AUS 285.000 ↓1
18 Stephen Coppinger RSA 279.500 ↑3
19 Karim Abdel Gawad EGY 270.500 =
20 Nicolas Mueller SUI 269.000 ↓3
