England's Willstrop Returns To Top 10 For First Time Since 2014, February Rankings by Nathan Clarke February 1, 2017
- After reaching the semi-finals of the J.P. Morgan Tournament of
Champions in January, his second PSA World Series semi-final finish of
the 2016/17 season so far, England's James Willstrop has moved up two
places in the PSA Men's World Rankings to secure a place in the top ten
for the first time since 2014.
33-year-old Willstrop sits at No.9 on the standings courtesy of a run
of form that saw him end a 19-match losing streak to compatriot, and
World No.5, Nick Matthew in New York to secure his first top ten
position since December 2014, when a potentially career ending hip
injury struck.
Tournament of Champions winner Karim Abdel Gawad meanwhile narrowed the
gap on World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy, who maintains his place atop the
standings for a 14th consecutive month, to sit just 200 points behind
his fellow Egyptian as part of an unchanged top eight that contains six
Egyptian players in total.
After winning the recent Motor City Open in Detroit, Australian Ryan
Cuskelly moves up four positions to No.15 on the standings just ahead
of New Zealand's Paul Coll who also rises four places to No.16 this
month after impressing with a run to the quarter-finals in New York.
South Africa's Stephen Coppinger climbs back into the top twenty for
the first time in over a year courtesy of a semi-final finish at the
Motor City Open while Cameron Pilley, Miguel Angel Rodriguez and Daryl
Selby also move up inside the top twenty.
