Sabrina Sobhy makes history with three Americans in top 20 for the first time
By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor
The PSA Women’s World Rankings will feature three US women inside the top 20 for the first time. The Long Island-born Sabrina Sobhy has moved up two spots to join older sister Amanda and New York’s Olivia Clyne as the January rankings were released today (January 1).
Sobhy, who turned 24 two days ago, reached the second round of the CIB Black Ball Squash Open last month in Cairo, beating Egypt’s Salma Hany in round one to claim her first ever win over a top 10 player.
She now sits joint 20th with Canada’s Hollie Naughton, joining World No.7 Amanda and World No.13 Clyne among the world’s elite. Sabrina spent part of the lockdown training in Egypt and the experience has clearly sharpened her performance levels.
Egypt’s Nour El Sherbini begins 2021 at World No.1. It is the third time she has begun a new year at the summit of the world rankings.
She is followed by fellow Egyptian Nouran Gohar, while France’s Camille Serme leapfrogs Nour El Tayeb – who last month announced that she is expecting a child – to break back into the top three.
Black Ball Open runner-up Hania El Hammamy stays at No.5, while the woman she lost to in the final, England’s Sarah-Jane Perry, remains at No.6. New Zealand’s Joelle King, Wales’ Tesni Evans and Hany are the other members of the top 10 along with Amanda Sobhy.
The rest of the top 20 is unchanged. Joshna Chinappa sits just outside the top 10 and is followed by Nele Gilis (No.12), Clyne, Rowan Elaraby (No.14), Yathreb Adel (No.15), Alison Waters (No.16), Nadine Shahin (No.17), Tinne Gilis (No.18) and Nada Abbas (No.19).
The biggest mover on the women’s tour this month is Switzerland’s Fabienne Oppliger, who rose 67 places to World No.210 after reaching the quarter-finals of the Sihltal Classic last month.
PSA Women’s World Rankings Top 20: January 2021.
Picture and graphic courtesy of PSAÂ