Gilis and Rooney Up to Highest Ever Rankings

Belgium’s Nele Gilis has moved to her highest ever PSA World Tour Ranking of World No.9, while England’s Patrick Rooney is up to his best ever ranking of World No.19, following the release of the latest PSA World Tour Rankings.

Gilis had already made history in last week’s rankings when she became the first female Belgian player to reach the top 10 after winning the Bronze-level Malaysian Open.

The 26-year-old then built on that success, reaching the quarter-finals of the Platinum-level Everbright Securities International Hong Kong Squash Open, where she fell to Egyptian World Champion Nour El Sherbini.

El Sherbini, who went on to reach the final in Hong Kong, has managed to keep her nose in front of the player who beat her, with ‘the Warrior Princess’ remaining second and Hania El Hammamy staying third in the world rankings.

Egypt’s Nouran Gohar, meanwhile, remains top of the rankings.

Elsewhere, England’s Emily Jones moved the most places on the tour, rising 38 spots from World No.375 to World No.337.

In the men’s rankings, Rooney jumped three places to World No.19 after strong showings in Malaysia and Hong Kong.

The 25-year-old reached the quarter-final of the Malaysian Open, where he lost out to eventual winner Mazen Hesham – who has returned to his highest ever ranking of World No.8 – and the last 16 of the Hong Kong Open, where he fell to eventual finalist Diego Elias.

Also back to his best ranking is newly-crowned Hong Kong Open champion Mostafa Asal of Egypt, who has returned to World No.3.

‘The Raging Bull’ was in top form in Hong Kong as the 21-year-old got the better of World No.5 Elias of Peru 3-2 in the final to lift his first Platinum title of the season.

Asal’s compatriot Ali Farag remains World No.1 despite time away from the tour as he recovers from an injury.

15-year-old sensation Mohamad Zakaria of Egypt – touted by some as a potential future World No.1 – was the biggest mover on the tour, shooting 385 places from World No.846 to 461 after reaching the quarter-final of the Challenger Tour 10 HSC International Squash Open, where he beat Malaysia’s World No.201 Asyraf Azan and England’s World No.93 Tom Walsh.