Mohamed Elshorbagy and Nour El Sherbini on top as Egypt dominate
By NATHAN CLARKE
Mohamed ElShorbagy has maintained his World No.1 status for the 10th consecutive month to top the October 2016 Men’s PSA World Rankings during a month that sees Egypt break ground by becoming the first country ever to boast seven players inside the world’s top ten.
ElShorbagy, 25, who has now marked 23 months as No.1 in total – taking him to sixth in the all time rankings list – is joined by compatriots Omar Mosaad (3), Karim Abdel Gawad (4), Ali Farag (6) Marwan ElShorbagy (7), Ramy Ashour (8) and Tarek Momen (9) to complete Egypt’s domination and overtake the previous record mark of six players inside the top ten which was set by Australia in 1990.
Both Gawad, who won September’s Al Ahram Squash Open NewGiza, and Ali Farag, who lost out to Gawad in that final, have moved up to career highs.
Fares Dessouky (16) and Mohamed Abouelghar, who breaks into the top 20 for the first time in his career at No.20, complete a nine-strong Egyptian contingent within the Men’s Top 20.
Colombia’s Miguel Angel Rodriguez has slipped out of the top ten to No.11, with Australians Cameron Pilley and Ryan Cuskelly at 13 and 15.
With Nick Matthew at No.5, England have two more players in the top 20, with Daryl Selby at 17 and James Willstrop at 19.
In the Women’s World Rankings 20-year-old World Champion Nour El Sherbini (right) has maintained her status as World No.1, holding a strong advantage over England’s Laura Massaro at No.2.
Fellow Egyptian Nour El Tayeb has broken back into the top ten at No.10 for the first time in six months to complete a five-strong contingent of Egyptian players at the the summit of the women’s game, including Nouran Gohar (4), Raneem El Welily (5) and Omneya Abdel Kawy (8).
Elsewhere inside the Women’s top ten American Amanda Sobhy has moved up one spot to a new career high of No.6, overtaking Frenchwoman Camille Serme, while New Zealand’s Joelle King moves up two places to No.9.
Pictures by PATRICK LAUSON
Graphics courtesy of PSA