Chicago showdowns beckon for top stars
By SEAN REUTHE
The PSA Women’s World Rankings for March will feature an all-Egyptian top three after Nour El Tayeb moved up a spot to sit behind compatriots Raneem El Welily and Nour El Sherbini.
El Tayeb had dropped down to No.4 last month after being overtaken by New Zealand’s Joelle King, but, on the day her husband Ali Farag took over as men’s number one, the 25-year-old has reclaimed her place among the top three.
Her fellow Egyptian, Raneem El Welily, celebrates her fourth month at the summit of the women’s rankings. El Tayeb and El Welily will go head-to-head in the semi-finals of the PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family tonight as they do battle in Chicago’s Union Station.
Nour El Sherbini stays at No.2 and the 23-year-old plays Camille Serme in the night’s other women’s semi-final, with the French No.1 leap-frogging New Zealand’s Joelle King to rank No.4.
England’s Sarah-Jane Perry stays at No.6 and is followed by compatriot Laura Massaro, while Egypt’s Nouran Gohar retains her No.8 ranking ahead of Alison Waters and Wales’ Tesni Evans, who moves back into the top 10 at the expense of United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy.
Sobhy drops three spots to No.13 – meaning she is overtaken by Hong Kong’s Annie Au and Egypt’s Salma Hany, with the latter reaching a career-high ranking of No.12.
England’s Victoria Lust moves up a place to No.14, while Egypt’s Hania El Hammamy rises three places to a career-high No.15 ranking.
India’s Joshna Chinappa drops two places to No.16 and is followed by Egypt’s Yathreb Adel (No.17), Hong Kong’s Joey Chan (No.18), America’s Olivia Blatchford Clyne and England’s Emily Whitlock.
PSA Women’s World Rankings – March 2019
Pictures courtesy of PSA