Ghosal reaches career high 13 in PSA rankings

Bengaluru, April 3: Saurav Ghosal, one of India's main medal hopes at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, moved a place up and has reached a career-high No.13 in the latest Professional Squash Association (PSA) world rankings which is topped once again by Egyptian Mohamed El Shorbagy.

The PSA list has an encouraging reflection for India with top players improving their rankings ahead of the Commonwealth Games which begins in Gold Coast, Australia, on Wednesday (April 5).

Joshna Chinappa has jumped to 14 from 16, Dipika Pallikal has progressed to 18 from 20 while Harinder Pal Sandhu, the other top 50 player, improving to 47.

As for the rest, Vikram Malhotra is on 64, Ramit Tandon on 67 and Mahesh Mangaonkar on 68.

In a major change at the top of men's rankings, Egypt's Ali Farag dislodged Frenchman Gregory Gaultier to reach a career-high No.2, while compatriot Tarek Momen has moved into the world's top five for the first time.

Farag, the 25-year-old Harvard-graduate from Cairo, has lifted two PSA World Tour titles so far this season at the US Open and Swedish Open, while a semi-inal finish at last month's Canary Wharf Classic was enough to see him move a place up the rankings to sit behind current compatriot El Shorbagy.

Gaultier, whose struggles with a partial rupture of his adductor have restricted him to just one PSA tournament appearance since January - drops to No.3, ahead of World Championship runner-up Marwan El Shorbagy and Momen, the latter of whom beat Farag en route to reaching the final of the Canary Wharf Classic.

The women's rankings are dominated once again by the Egyptians with as many as four of the top five coming from the land of Pharaohs.

Nour El Sherbini remains on the top of rankings ahead of world champion Raneem El Welily and Windy City Open winner Nour El Tayeb, while Nouran Gohar stays at No.5.

New Zealand's Joelle King prevented an Egyptian clean sweep as she returned to the world's top five for the first time since October 2014, rising three places to sit at No.4 while while Malaysia's eight-time world champion Nicol David drops to No.9, her lowest ranking since January 2004.

(With PSA inputs)