 Lincou
Celebrates
Ten Years In Top Ten
Whilst Englishman Nick Matthew extends his reign at number
one in the Dunlop PSA Men's World Squash Rankings, it is
France's Thierry Lincou who grabs the headlines at
eighth place in the August list by celebrating his tenth
full year in the world top ten!
After joining the PSA in 1994, it was in April 2000 that
Lincou first broke into the top ten - but slipped back to 16
by the end of the year.
 But,
in September 2001 - after reaching the final of the Cathay
Pacific Hong Kong Open the previous month unseeded - the
11-time French national champion leapt 12 places to No8, and
has maintained this top ten status to date.
"I am very proud of this longevity in the elite group of the
PSA," said the 35-year-old from Marseille on hearing the
news. "We all know how tough it is to break into the top 10
and it is even harder to stay, so 10 years means really
something for me and my entourage.
"I think that I managed to keep my discipline, my training
regime, my motivation to do my best and most of all the
passion of this great game," added the former world champion
and world number one. "For that I have to be really thankful
to my coaches Paul and Franck, my wife Celine, my daughters,
my parents, my brother, my clubs and all my supporters.
"I always had a good base of physical abilities," said the
winner of 22 PSA titles from 41 final appearances. "I was
always careful about the quality of my training and was able
to stay injury-free most of my career - until eight months
ago when I fractured my patella (not even in squash but on a
leg press machine!!
"It was very challenging to be able to adapt myself to new
situations, new rules, new players, new styles of games.
"But it is not over," concluded the distinguished Frenchman.
Lots more about Thierry, and tributes
from his friends, family and fans on SiteSquash
Lincou joins Australian David Palmer as the only
player on the current Tour to have maintained a top ten
presence for ten whole years. Coincidentally, Palmer also
joins his rival back in the top ten after slipping out of
the elite group last December.
In a relatively unchanged world top 20, Egypt's Ramy Ashour
is at No2, while compatriot Karim Darwish is in third place
and England's James Willstrop at No4.
Englishman Daryl Selby rises a single place to No11, while
Australian Cameron Pilley jumps three places to No14.
|
1 |
[1] |
Nick Matthew |
ENG |
1,380 |
|
2 |
[2] |
Ramy Ashour |
EGY |
1,331 |
|
3 |
[3] |
Karim Darwish |
EGY |
959 |
|
4 |
[4] |
James Willstrop |
ENG |
897 |
|
5 |
[5] |
Amr Shabana |
EGY |
832 |
|
6 |
[6] |
Gregory Gaultier |
FRA |
795 |
|
7 |
[7] |
Peter Barker |
ENG |
596 |
|
8 |
[8] |
Thierry Lincou |
FRA |
499 |
|
9 |
[9] |
Mohamed El Shorbagy |
EGY |
479 |
|
10 |
[11] |
David Palmer |
AUS |
418 |
|
11 |
[12] |
Daryl Selby |
ENG |
407 |
|
12 |
[10] |
Azlan Iskandar |
MAS |
366 |
|
13 |
[13] |
Hisham Ashour |
EGY |
357 |
|
14 |
[17] |
Cameron Pilley |
AUS |
354 |
|
15 |
[15] |
Laurens Jan Anjema |
NED |
348 |
|
16 |
[14] |
Omar Mosaad |
EGY |
339 |
|
17 |
[16] |
Wael El Hindi |
EGY |
339 |
|
18 |
[18] |
Adrian Grant |
ENG |
279 |
|
19 |
[19] |
Alister Walker |
BOT |
263 |
|
20 |
[20] |
Olli Tuominen |
FIN |
263 |
|
 Massaro
makes
Top Five debut
After a quite month in June, the pace picked up on the tour
this month.
Laura Massaro was rewarded for reaching the final of
last week's CIMB Singapore Masters with a career high
ranking of no.5. The 27 year old British Champion stunned
the squash world when she came from two games down to beat
world number one Nicol David in the semi finals for the
second time this year.
Massaro's conqueror in the final Madeline Perry
returns to no.3, equalling her career high ranking.
After stunning Perry in the first round of the CIMB
Malaysian Open, New Zealand's Joelle King records a
new ranking high of no.13. The 22 year old has few points to
defend in August and a good run at the Australian Open could
see her close in on a place in the top ten.
Natalie Grinham makes her return to the top 15 for
the first time in almost a year. The super mum on the tour
reached her 34th career final earlier in the month at the
WISPA des Pyramides in France, losing out to Camille Serme.
Grinham will play in the Australian Open this year, the
first time she has played the tournament since 2004.
There were some notable career highs set outside the top
twenty.
Heba El Torky last month made her top 30 debut at
no.30. Now the twenty year old Egyptian, who was ranked out
of the top 65 last year, has leaped one place to no.29.
After collecting her third title in a row earlier in the
month at the Victorian Open, 22 year old Aussie Melody
Francis has made her first appearance in the top 40, at
no.40.
Three players who shared titles throughout the Australian
circuit recorded career best rankings. South African
Siyoli Waters made a jump of eleven places to no.52
after securing her first title at the Hitachi Queensland
Open. 20 year old Canadian Samantha Cornett moved up
to no.57 with her second title of the season at the
Tasmanian Open. Another 20 year old, Kiwi Amanda
Landers-Murphy rises to no.66 after winning her first
title at last week's New South Wales Open.
August sees action from around the globe with the Australian
Open, the third World Series of the year next week, the
upgraded BC Honda Sun and Surf Open this and further
tournaments in New York and Nottingham. |
