Ones To Watch In 2023

As we move into the new year, we’ve identified eight players that you should keep an eye out for in 2023 on the PSA Tour, including players that have shown good promise in 2022 and those returning from injury in 2023.

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Mohamed Abouelghar

Former World No.7 Mohamed Abouelghar returned to PSA action in December at the Hong Kong FC Open for the first time in over a year after a knee injury forced the talented Egyptian off the tour.

Abouelghar overcame up-and-coming compatriot Aly Abou Eleinen to claim his first win since beating England’s Adrian Waller in the 2021 QTerminals Qatar Classic. Abouelghar saw his ranking plummet to 850 but the points from the final PSA World Tour event of the year in Hong Kong have taken him back up to his current position of World No.208. But with a provisional ranking allowing him entry in the J.P Morgan Tournament Of Champions main draw and the wildcard spot in the Motor City Open Silver event secured, it won’t be long before ‘The Bullet’ is back in the top 20 again if his body can withstand the rigours of life on tour.

Satomi Watanabe

Japan’s Satomi Watanabe reached four finals in 2022, only missing out on the title once. This year has also seen the 23-year-old feature in her first PSA World Championships where she scored a victory against Lucy Turmel in round one before putting up a strong fight against World No.3 Hania El Hammamy, losing 3-1.

Watanabe’s last three events of the year have really announced her presence on the PSA World Tour and set her up for a positive second half of the season. She started off with semi-final and quarter-final appearances at the Australian and New Zealand Opens before securing a place in her first Platinum event in Hong Kong. The Japanese No.1 advanced to the quarter-finals of the event, beating No.6 seed Rowan Elaraby. 

Watanabe will be featuring in more Platinum events over the coming months and more scalps are predicted.

Eain Yow Ng

World No.22 Eain Yow Ng has been at the receiving end of some very tough draws throughout 2022 but showed his class and undoubted ability in the first half of the new season. This was highlighted as he claimed the biggest win of his career at the Singapore Open, beating British Open champion Paul Coll in round two.

The 24-year-old seems to have developed his maturity on court in the previous months and partnered with his new aggressive approach around the middle and strength in his movement, there’s no reason why the Malaysian No.1 can’t mount a challenge towards the world’s top 10 in the second half of the season and throughout 2023.

Amina Orfi

With only three PSA events under her belt, heavily decorated junior Amina Orfi has certainly made the most of her time on the professional circuit so far. She first appeared at the CIB Egyptian Open as a wildcard and pushed USA’s Sabrina Sobhy all the way to five games in round one.

She then claimed a Challenger 10 title in India before winning the Sutton Coldfield Challenger 5 to finish the year inside the top 100 at the age of just 15. Another ranking push from the youngster is expected in 2023 amongst more Challenger titles.

Youssef Ibrahim

Youssef Ibrahim is another who has been plagued by injuries in 2022 and suffered a knee injury at the end of last season which ruled him out for the first half of the new 2022/23 season, much to the displeasure of squash fans worldwide. The talented Egyptian last featured at the El Gouna International but is set to return to action in New York at the J.P Morgan Tournament of Champions. 

Ibrahim has showcased his skill on multiple occasions in recent years. Being only two points away from capturing his first Platinum title in March at the Windy City Open and beating former World Champion Mohamed ElShorbagy on multiple occasions are two examples. With his injury woes behind him, Ibrahim could mount a push towards the top eight in the world in 2023.

Katie Malliff

England’s Katie Malliff only came out of the junior circuit in 2022 but has already made her mark on the PSA Tour in impressive style. 2022 saw her capture two Challenger 5 titles, beating Marta Dominguez Fernandez in both finals. But her run in the final Platinum event of 2022 is the career highlight so far as she overcame England international Julianne Courtice and Hana Moataz to reach the last 16, where she fell to eventual semi-finalist Joelle King.

Malliff boasts a PSA World Ranking of No.61 heading into 2023 and with bigger Challenger events on her radar, along with lower-level World Tour appearances, England could have another top 40 player on their hands in the future.

Tsz Kwan Lau

Hong Kong’s Tsz Kwan Lau has been sat around the No.60 mark in the PSA World Rankings for the past 12 months, showing signs of pushing forward but hadn’t been able to do so. His unorthodox style of play and lightning speed have made him a test for anyone on his day and he finally displayed this on home soil at the Hong Kong Open. He reached the last 16, beating Scotland’s Greg Lobban in a five-game thriller to delight the home crowd. 

That could be the confidence boost that he needs to advance up the rankings in 2023.

Hana Moataz

Recently graduating from Harvard University, Egypt’s Hana Moataz has been able to concentrate full-time on professional squash and has done that spectacularly in 2022. The 22-year-old claimed four titles as well as losing out in very close matches in all the World Tour events that she played in 2022. Moataz looks poised to make a charge towards the worlds top 50 in the new year.