Featured News
Elias & Clyne Named PSA World Tour Players Of The Month For February
Peru’s World No.2 Diego Elias has claimed the player of the month prize for the second successive month after two wins moved him up to World No.2 in the recent PSA World Rankings. Whilst USA’s Olivia Clyne has picked up the award on the women side after a trio of impressive performances on home soil.
Elias claimed his first J.P Morgan Tournament of Champions title in January and carried that impressive form into his first February event at the Motor City Open. Elias had to navigate his way past a trio of dangerous Egyptians (Mohamed Abouelghar, Tarek Momen and Mazen Hesham) on his way to lifting the Silver event title to earn a 14th career title.
The ‘Peruvian Puma’ then turned his attention to the Pittsburgh Open – another PSA World Tour Silver event. After coming through a tough battle with Egypt’s Youssef Ibrahim in four games, the No.2 seed wouldn’t drop another game as he stormed through the draw to defeat Miguel Rodriguez, Mohamed Abouelghar and Marwan ElShorbagy all 3-0 to earn a this successive World Tour title in a row.
Watch more of Diego Elias on SQUASHTV.
USA No.3 Olivia Clyne has impressed in each tournament that she featured in during February, all of which came on home soil for the New York-born 30-year-old. Clyne came into her first event of the month unseeded at the Cleveland Classic and after defeating Belgium’s Nele Gilis and receiving a walkover after Nour El Tayeb had to retire injured, went on to beat compatriot Olivia Fiechter and lose out to Georgina Kennedy in a four-game final.
Clyne then moved onto Detroit for the DAC Pro Squash Classic which saw her again enter unseeded into the competition but defeated Belgium’s Tinne Gilis and then top seed Joelle King to move into the semi-finals. Clyne was then on the receiving end of eventual champion Olivia’s Fiechter inflicting her revenge for the week previously to halt her Detroit journey.
The final event of the month for the World No.15 came at the Cincinnati Gaynor Cup where she moved through to the semi-finals after beating Olivia Fiechter once again 3-0 then overcoming another North American opponent, this time in the form of Hollie Naughton in four games. England’s Georgina Kennedy was forced out of their semi-final clash early due to injury, securing Clyne’s place in a second final within the month. She lost out in the final to the World No.1 Nouran Gohar in a competitive three games.
