Record six Egyptians in PSA top 10
By NATHAN CLARKE
World No.1 Mohamed Elshorbagy has broken his own record for the highest ever points average as he extended his reign atop the PSA Men’s World Rankings to a fifth consecutive month courtesy of victory at the recent El Gouna International, his sixth consecutive PSA World Series title.
The 25-year-old Egyptian has dominated the PSA World Tour during the 2015/16 season, taking six of seven possible World Series crowns, to record a points average of 2,240.000 – eclipsing the previous record of 2,150.000 he set just last month – and remain number one amongst a top ten that contains an unprecedented six Egyptian players.
Joining Elshorbagy inside the top ten are Omar Mosaad (4), younger brother Marwan ElShorbagy (7), Tarek Momen (8), Karim Abdel Gawad (9) and Ali Farag (10), the 24-year-old Harvard graduate who joins the world’s elite top ten for the first time in his career after a breakthrough season.
“To be in the top ten is a great feeling,” said Farag. “I have grown up looking up to the top ten players and I think I can even name each top ten player there has been over the past 15-20 years.
“It is a huge step towards the dream goal and it will motivate me even more to work harder and harder to ultimately reach it.”
While Farag moves into the top ten three-time World Champion and former World No.1 Ramy Ashour has dropped out of the top ten for the first time since 2006, to World No.12, after his El Gouna International campaign ended prematurely due to injury.
Elsewhere Egyptian youngsters Fares Dessouki, a semi-finalist in El Gouna, and Mazen Heshem, both move back into the top 20 to occupy the No.15 and No.17 positions, respectively.
England’s Daryl Selby has slipped out of the top 20 for the first time in seven years and Tweeted: “Been in the top 20 squash players in the world since 2009 so gutted to drop out of it today. But as Arnie said ‘I’ll be back’….”
Picture by PATRICK LAUSON