Just above El Weleily, England’s Laura Massaro has once again leapt above Ireland’s Madeline Perry to equal her highest ranking to date of no.3.

The two remain unchanged with Nicol David extending her reign at no.1 to 67 months whilst Jenny Duncalf stays at no.2 for her 23rd month in a row.

Natalie Grinham moves up a single place to no.7, her highest position since August 2010. Grinham won her 17th WSA tour title in January at the prestigious Tournament of Champions, a tournament making its return to the WSA tour after a couple of years. In the final she beat Indian star Dipika Pallikal, who this month has more reason to celebrate as she makes further history in her country by reaching a career high ranking of 14. As well as reaching the final at TOC, she also reached the semi finals at the Greenwich Open. Mexico’s Samantha Teran, a fellow Greenwich Open semi finalist, moves up 1 spot to 11 to equal her highest ranking to date.

Just outside the top 20, 16 year old Egyptian star Nour El Sherbini rises to 23 after reaching the semi finals of the Tournament of Champions.

There were further players who recorded significant career highs in the top 100 for:
NSC Series no.2 Champion Siti Munirah Jusoh at 39
Hong Kong’s Liu Tsz-Ling - a two time runner-up in January at 50
Australia Day Champion Sarah Cardwell at 55
Edinburgh semi-finalist Zephanie Curgenven at 83
Pakistan’s Liberty Bell Champion Maria Toor Pakay up a massive 73 places to 89

Mixed teams from eight nations will compete in the inaugural biennial event launched by the World Squash Federationwhich gets underway on Wednesday.

After early rounds at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai, the final stages of the U21 World Cup will be held on an all-glass show court erected at the Express Avenue Mall, the largest shopping complex in southern India.

Photo by Squashsite

Egypt, led by the two reigning world junior champions Marwan El Shorbagy and Nour El Tayeb, are the top seeds, ahead of second seeds England, No3 seeds France – and hosts India as fourth seeds.

El Shorbagy, the 18-year-old world No41 from Alexandria, reached last week’s quarter-finals of the Tournament of Champions in New York, becoming the first qualifier to appear in the last eight of the elite PSA World Series event for ten years.

Furthermore, team-mate Nour El Sherbini, a 16-year-old former world junior (U19) champion, made the semi-finals of the women’s Tournament of Champions unseeded.

But a surprise finalist in the event was 20-year-old Dipika Pallikal, the Indian senior champion

Photo by Squashsite

from Chennai. The world No15 – the highest-ranked player in the World Cup – recorded her best ever success on the women’s World Tour in New York after overturning two higher-seeded opponents to reach the final as the seventh seed.

Australia team member Sarah Cardwell, the 20-year-old daughter of legendary former world No1 Vicki Cardwell, has also just shown her best form to date – winning her maiden Tour title this month at the Australia Day Challenge.

Charles Sharpes, a London-born 19-year-old who leads the England attack, took out the top two seeds in the first PSA World Tour ranking event of the year in France to notch up the fourth Tour title of his brief career to date.

The former British U17 and U19 national champion enjoyed an illustrious junior career, having represented his country at U15, U17 and U19 levels.

“If it wasn’t for an event like the WSF U21 World Cup, a player like Charles would be unlikely to play again for England for five years,” said England Squash & Racketball’s Head of Coaching & Performance Keir Worth. “And representative squash is so different.”

Sharpes, ranked 96 in the world, will be joined in the England squad in Chennai by 20-year-old Ben Coleman, 18-year-old Declan James, 20-year-old Carrie Ramsey, and 17-year-old European Junior Champion Emily Whitlock, the current No1 in the WSF World Junior Circuit Rankings.

“But the new event is also a good way to measure our success internationally – our players tend to come on later than others,” added Worth. “Charles is hitting form just at the right time and Emily, who is only 17, is also showing great promise – as is Declan, who is still at school.

“What makes this event unusual is that if you look at the draw, you will see that there are no easy matches – right from the early pool stages.

“But the real key is that the U21 World Cup establishes itself as a permanent fixture on the squash calendar – one that more countries can build into their future planning to give their players the chance to play representative squash earlier than might otherwise be possible,” concluded Worth.

Early action will take place in two pools of four teams each, followed by semi-finals on Saturday (4 February) and the final on Sunday.

Pool line-ups (with seedings in brackets):
Pool A: (1) Egypt, (4) India, (5) Australia, (8) Germany
Pool B: (2) England, (3) France, (6) Hong Kong, (7) Malaysia

In last week’s first ever all-English final of the prestigious PSA World Series Tournament of Champions at Grand Central Station, Sheffield-based Matthew – who topped the world rankings throughout 2011 before Willstrop replaced him in January – reclaimed pole position after overcoming his Leeds rival in a dramatic 85-minute climax.

The 2012 British National Squash Championships, from 7-12 February (following qualifying the previous two days), will be celebrating its 16th successive year in Manchester and its tenth appearance at the National Squash Centre, the unique venue which was built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and boasts a permanently-sited all-glass court.

In the draws revealed today, both Willstrop and Matthew face qualifiers in the first round en-route to the predicted men’s final which would be the first in the event’s 38-year history to feature the top two players in the world.

Willstrop, twice winner of the title, is the event’s the top seed. The 28-year-old, who surprisingly crashed out at the quarter-final stage last year, is expected to meet seventh seed Chris Ryder, the former world university champion from Leamington Spa, in the quarter-finals before a predicted clash with career-long rival and England team-mate Peter Barker in the semis.

Barker, the world No7 from London, is the third seed and opens his 2012 campaign against Yorkshireman Neil Cordell.

Second seed Matthew has an anticipated quarter-final clash with Guernsey-born Chris Simpson, the world No52 from Harrogate. Champion on three previous occasions – in 2006, 2009 & 2010 – the 31-year-old is expected to face fourth seed Daryl Selby in the semi-finals.

It was 29-year-old from Essex who shocked the country – if not the world – by toppling Matthew in last year’s final to become men’s champion for the first time. Selby, ranked 11 in the world, begins the defence of his title against a qualifier.

Lurking near the bottom of the men’s draw is Yorkshireman Simon Parke, the only other former champion in the 2012 field. The now retired former world No3, who will celebrate his 40th birthday later this year, made his British Nationals’ debut in 1987 – and won the title for the only time 11 years later.

In his 19th appearance in the event, Parke will face 14th seed Charles Sharpes, a 19-year-old from Surrey who was born in 1992 – the year after Parke first appeared in the final!

The women’s title is also expected to go to Yorkshire: Jenny Duncalf, the top seed from Harrogate, is expected to reach her fifth final in six years. Ranked two in the world, 29-year-old Duncalf opens her bid against a qualifier and is expected to line up against England team-mate Sarah Kippax, the Halifax-based No4 seed from Cheshire, in the semi-finals.

Local hopes will be led by third seed Laura Massaro, the world No4 from Preston who last year became Lancashire’s first winner of the title.

Third seed Massaro begins the defence of her title against a qualifier, and faces her toughest opponent in the predicted semi-final in the lower half of the draw against second seed Madeline Perry.

The world No3 from Banbridge, near Belfast, is hoping to become Ireland’s first ever winner of the title. Perry plays Lauren Selby – sister of the men’s champion – in the opening round before her expected meeting in the final against Duncalf.

But, despite winning her 13th Irish national title in December, Perry has yet to reach a British final.

More than 340 players will converge on Manchester, not only for the two main open events but a full range of men’s and women’s Masters events, from Over-35 to Over-75.

Men’s 1st round draw:
[1] James Willstrop (Yorks) v Qualifier
[13] Andy Whipp (Cheshire) v Declan James (Notts)
[7] Chris Ryder (Herts) v Qualifier
[9] Adrian Waller (Herts) v Qualifier
[3] Peter Barker (Essex) v Neil Cordell (Yorks)
[10] Robbie Temple (Glos) v Qualifier
[6] Tom Richards (Surrey) v Qualifier
[15] Eddie Charlton (Notts) v Adam Murrills (Cheshire)
[11] Joe Lee (Surrey) v Stephen Siveter (Merseyside)
[5] Adrian Grant (Kent) v Qualifier
[12] Joel Hinds (Derbyshire) v Anthony Graham (Glos)
[4] Daryl Selby (Essex) v Qualifier
[14] Charles Sharpes (Surrey) v Simon Parke (Yorks)
[8] Chris Simpson (Hants) v Ben Coleman (Essex)
[16] Jaymie Haycocks (Shropshire) v Phil Rushworth (Yorks)
[2] Nick Matthew (Yorks) v Qualifier

Women’s 1st round draw:
[1] Jenny Duncalf (Yorks) v Qualifier
[7] Lauren Briggs (Essex) v Qualifier
[4] Sarah Kippax (Cheshire) v Lisa Aitken (Scotland)
[8] Alison Waters (Middx) v Qualifier
[6] Victoria Lust (Beds) v Sarah-Jane Perry (Warwicks)
[3] Laura Massaro (Lancs) v Qualifier
[5] Emma Beddoes (Warwicks) v Tesni Evans (Wales)
[2] Madeline Perry (Ireland) v Lauren Selby (Essex)

Tickets for the British National Squash Championships – Manchester 2012 can be booked online at www.isportgroup.com/ticketing, or by telephone on 0844-870 0000 – or for further help and information email: info@isportgroup.com

For more general details of the 2012 National Championships, please visit the official website: www.nationalsquashchamps.co.uk

After early rounds at the city’s Indian Squash Academy, the final stages of the mixed team event will be held on an all-glass show court erected at the Express Avenue Mall, the largest shopping complex in southern India.

India have been named as fourth seeds, behind favourites Egypt, second seeds England and No3 seeds France.

Home hopes are led by an Indian squad featuring Dipika Pallikal, the 20-year-old women’s world No15 from Chennai and the highest-ranked player in the event. Pallikal, who also represented her country in last year’s (senior) WSF World Cup, has made a major impact on the WSA World Tour already this year, reaching last week’s final of the Tournament of Champions in New York – as the No7 seed!

Making up the squad are 17-year-old Asian Junior U19 champion Anaka Alankamony, and Ravi Dixit, Ramit Tandon and Karan Malik.

“We are the fourth seeds – but we are confident of winning a medal,” said Indian National Coach Cyrus Poncha.

“We are delighted to initiate the inaugural Under 21 World Cup here in Chennai after re-launching the WSF World Cup last year. We’ve had great support from the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) in addition to the WSF and the Federation’s President Mr Ramachandran.

“Indian Squash is now firmly entrenched in the world map of squash, through administrators, tournament organisation and performance in the junior tournaments, as well as the senior PSA and WSA circuits,” Poncha continued.

“The Indian public, who are cricket crazy, are becoming more aware of this exciting sport.”

“Furthermore, Dipika’s progress augurs well for Indian Squash. Her foundation was laid at the Squash Academy.”

“The Express Avenue Shopping Mall, the busiest and largest in South India, provides an ideal location for the event – increasing awareness of the sport. They have supported this event fully, including last year’s event.”

“Sponsors are coming forward in droves and this is good for the development of Squash in India,” concluded Poncha.

Early action will take place in two pools of four teams each, followed by semi-finals on Saturday 4 February and the final on the Sunday.

Pool line-ups (with seedings in brackets):
Pool A: (1) Egypt, (4) India, (5) Australia, (8) Germany
Pool B: (2) England, (3) France, (6) Hong Kong, (7) Malaysia

The Allam British Open

The event will have a total prize fund of $245,000 –$95,000 for the Women’s event and $150,000 for the Men’s event, categorising the Allam British Open as a WSA World Series Platinum Event.

The event makes its return to the nation’s capital after last being held in London 28-years ago when New Zealander Susan Devoy claimed her first of eight British Open titles.

WSA Chairman and acting CEO Ingrid Lofdahl-Bentzer is delighted by the increase in the women’s prize fund from the previously held event.

“We’re very pleased that Allam Marine and ESR have revived this most prestigious event, steeped in history. Even more so as the woman will be playing for an impressive prize fund and that it will be staged at the world famous O2 Arena.”

WSA President Jaclyn Hawkes is buoyed by the return of the so-called “Wimbledon of squash”. She said: “The British Open has an amazing history so for it to return, at a venue like the O2 arena, will be really special for all the WSA players.  The prize money increase is a really good sign for the future of the women’s game, and hopefully will encourage more sponsors to step up and get behind the sport.”

Dr. Assem Allam, Title Partner to the Allam British Open added; “I am delighted that the Allam British Open unites both the WSA and PSA championships at the highest level – Platinum Events.

The women’s tour continues to go from strength to strength, which has been mirrored by the achievements of English players like Jenny Duncalf and Laura Massaro who both enjoy positions within the world’s top five. I am very much looking forward to May, when the British Open will be the perfect showcase for squash in this country.”

Tickets will be available to purchase from Wednesday (25th January) through www.britishopensquash.net and leading agency, Ticketmaster. Tickets start at £15.00 with reserved seating available for a 1000 spectators through afternoon and evening sessions.

The new biennial event, launched by the World Squash Federation, will be staged at the Express Avenue Mall in Chennai from 1-5 February.

The championship will feature mixed teams of two men and one woman, following the highly successful format of the biennial WSF World Cup.

Egypt’s formidable squad includes the two reigning world junior champions Marwan El Shorbagy and Nour El Tayeb - ranked 41 and 20, respectively, in the world and both still aged 18 – in addition to 20-year-old world No42 Karim Abdel Gawad; 18-year-old Mohamed Abouelghar, ranked 78; and 16-year-old former world junior champion Nour El Sherbini, currently the world No28.

England are seeded to line up against Egypt in the final. The second seeds are pinning their hopes on a squad led by 19-year-old Charles Sharpes, ranked 96 in the world, and 17-year-old European Junior Champion Emily Whitlock, the world No33.

Home hopes are led by an Indian squad featuring Dipika Pallikal, the women’s world No15 from Chennai and the highest-ranked player in the event. Making up the squad are 17-year-old Asian Junior U19 champion Anaka Alankamony, and Ravi Dixit, Ramit Tandon and Karan Malik.

Early action will take place in two pools of four teams each, followed by semi-finals on Saturday 4 February, and the final on the Sunday.

“After the very successful biennial WSF World Cup last year, it is now great to welcome the debuting WSF Under 21 World Cup in intervening years,” said WSF CEO Andrew Shelley.

“It will provide a superb world level mixed team opportunity for top juniors and players who have recently left the under 19 age band. It is sure to grow as nations see how well it will be hosted in Chennai and start to allocate budgets to take their places too.”

Pool line-ups (with seedings in brackets):
Pool A: (1) Egypt, (4) India, (5) Australia, (8) Germany
Pool B: (2) England, (3) France, (6) Hong Kong, (7) Malaysia

But former champions Benz-Bavarian Duffield boast an 18-point lead at the top of the Group A tables after former world number one Nick Matthew led the Derbyshire club to a 4/1 away victory at Courtcraft Pontefract.

Exeter made a promising start to their visit to the Croydon club when Irish international Aisling Blake beat Nada Elkalaawy, a 16-year-old Egyptian making her debut this season for Surrey Health, 3/1.

Former world champion and world number one Peter Nicol began the fightback for the hosts by beating Devonian James Snell 11-9, 9-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-7. And it was straight games wins for the home team thereafter as former Scottish champion Alan Clyne beat newly-crowned Welsh champion Peter Creed and Londoner Adrian Grant defeated PSL veteran Tim Vail.

The final match featured two of the players from last week’s PSA flagship World Series Finals event at Queen’s Club in London – England international Peter Barker and Dutch star Laurens Jan Anjema. World No7 Barker was in sparkling form, despatching Anjema 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 to extend the Croydon club’s winning margin.

World Series Finals runner-up Gregory Gaultier was the star attraction on the south coast where IGT Winchester hosted TWP St George’s Hill, the Weybridge club which finished as runners-up to Surrey Health in last season’s national final.

And the Frenchman, ranked three in the world, delighted the crowd which had packed the club to see their hero by clinching the decider after the tie was poised at two-all – beating St George’s star Tom Richards 11-9, 11-8, 11-6 to give Winchester a 3/2 victory.

“It’s the first time this season that Greg has been able to play for us,” said Winchester team manager Gary Hinton. “But we sold out as soon as we started publicising the fact that he was playing. He couldn’t have done more for us tonight – he was great value.”

UWE Bristol fell short in their bid to record their first win of the season in Group B, going down 3/2 at home to Team Chichester. Impressive performances from Lauren Briggs, Anthony Graham and Olivier Pett ensured the Chichester win – and Malaysian star Mohd Nafizwan Adnan had a match-ball against the Bristol top string Mohamed El Shorbagy in the final match of the night.

But the 20-year-old world No6 from Egypt held his nerve to beat Adnan 11-5, 9-11, 8-11, 11-7, 12-10 in 56 minutes to enable the home crowd to leave on a high.

The main attraction in Group A was the Yorkshire clash between Pontefract and Duffield – in which Yorkshireman Nick Matthew was making his first competitive appearance on court since sustaining an adductor injury in Kuwait in November. Hosts Pontefract started well when Vanessa Atkinson, the retired former world number one, claimed victory over Jenny Duncalf when the current world No2 retired injured after just two games.

Victories by Aqeel Rehman, Andy Whipp and Joel Hinds had already ensured a Duffield win when the visitors’ top string took on Pontefract stalwart Lee Beachill, the former world No1 who is now the Chief Operating Officer of the Professional Squash Association.

Matthew survived his comeback match in comfortable style, beating Beachill 11-6, 11-9, 11-5.

“The COO of PSA was kind enough to give me a good run out,” said Matthew, now the world No2, afterwards. “He still has an unbelievable array of shots so I had to work hard but it was good to get the sensations back in the muscles again. You can arrange all the practice matches you want but nothing can replace a real match so hopefully I can progress onwards now with no hiccups before the Tournament of Champions later this month in New York.”

In the other tie in Group A, Oxford Health & Racquets beat MB Nottingham 4/1 to replace the East Midlands club in second place in the group tables. Nottingham earned perhaps their most surprising point when club stalwart Emma Beddoes, ranked 22 in the world, beat world No3 Madeline Perry - for the first time in her career – in straight games to end a 16-match unbeaten PSL run by the Irish star.

Perry has been enjoying one of the best runs of her career – and last week contested the final of the women’s World Series Finals in London.

But top-ranked Spaniard Borja Golan led Oxford to success with an 11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 11-3 win over Nottingham’s Eddie Charlton – and team-mates Scott Handley, Mark Cairns and Ben Coleman all survived five-game battles to give Oxford their third successive PSL win.

RESULTS: Premier Squash League, 5th round
Group A:
Oxford Health & Racquets 4 MB Nottingham 1
Borja Golan bt Eddie Charlton 11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 11-3
Scott Handley bt Lewis Walters 13-11, 10-12, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9
Mark Cairns bt Mark Fuller 6-11, 11-9, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9
Ben Coleman bt Declan James 3-11, 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-2
Madeline Perry lost to Emma Beddoes 6-11, 10-12, 3-11

Courtcraft Pontefract 1 Benz-Bavarian Duffield 4
Lee Beachill lost to Nick Matthew 6-11, 9-11, 5-11
Neil Cordell lost to Joel Hinds 8-11, 11-3, 6-11, 2-11
Sam Wileman lost to Andy Whipp 10-12, 1-11, 2-11
Taminder Gata-Aura lost to Aqeel Rehman 4-11, 5-11, 11-8, 7-11
Vanessa Atkinson bt Jenny Duncalf 7-11, 12-10 ret.

Group B:
IGT Winchester 3 TWP St George’s Hill 2
Gregory Gaultier bt Tom Richards 11-9, 11-8, 11-6
Marwan El Shorbagy bt Charles Sharpes 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 12-10
Robert Downer lost to Stephen Meads 8-11, 3-11, 11-13
Alex Phillips bt James Simpson 11-7, 11-5, 11-7
Catherine Finlayson lost to Dominique Lloyd-Walter 8-11, 5-11, 7-11

UWE Bristol 2 Team Chichester 3
Mohamed El Shorbagy bt Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan 11-5, 9-11, 8-11, 11-7, 12-10 (56m)
David Evans bt Robbie Temple 11-6, 11-9, 11-4 (20m)
Lucas Serme lost to Olivier Pett 10-12, 8-11, 9-11 (38m)
Tom Ford lost to Anthony Graham 11-9, 7-11, 4-11, 13-15 (52m)
Kip Quiney lost to Lauren Briggs 4-11, 4-11, 6-11

Integrity Surrey Health & Racquets 4 Exeter Diamonds 1
Peter Barker bt Laurens Jan Anjema 11-8, 11-9, 11-5
Adrian Grant bt Tim Vail 11-4, 11-6, 11-6
Alan Clyne bt Peter Creed 11-8, 16-14, 11-2
Peter Nicol bt James Snell 11-9, 9-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-7
Nada Elkalaawy lost to Aisling Blake 3-11, 3-11, 11-9, 10-12

PSL TABLES (after 5th round)

For all the latest news, visit the official website www.pslsquash.com

WSF, 10 January 2012 –

El Shorbagy, aged 18 and from Alexandria, is the reigning world junior champion after winning the WSF Men’s World Junior Individual Championship crown in Belgium in July—since when he has made rapid progress in the PSA world rankings.

Title success in the Indian Junior Open in September helped India’s 17-year-old Mahesh Mangaonkar move up to second place—pushing Egypt’s Mohamed Abouelghar, runner-up to El Shorbagy in Belgium, down to No3.

Dutchman Tom de Mulder bursts into the rankings for the first time at No4 after a runner-up finish in October’s Nordic Junior Open in Sweden.

After winning the Canadian Junior Open, then finishing in third place later last month in the US Junior Open, Mexican Mario Yanez also makes his first appearance in the list at No5.

Emily Whitlock tops the chart!

Emily Whitlock, the 17-year-old British national junior champion, is rewarded for her focus and success on the world junior circuit by taking over the top spot—succeeding Egypt’s world junior champion Nour El Tayeb.

Whitlock, who became the European Junior champion for the first time last April, added the Belgian Junior Open title to her trophy collection in November.

And India’s Anaka Alankamony also moved up in the list to take over second place. The 17-year-old from Chennai followed her unexpected success in last year’s Asian Junior Championships by winning the Indian Junior Open in her home city September.

American Maria Elena Ubina, 16-year-old winner of the US Junior Open, leaps up to fifth place, below Egyptians Nour El Tayeb and Nour El Sherbini, at 3 and 4, respectively

The WSF World Junior Circuit Rankings—which are based on the under 19 age grouping and were launched last October—will be issued quarterly, based on results achieved in national junior opens, regional championships and WSF World Junior Individual Championships. In the coming months, as players compete in more events (there are sixteen already on the circuit in the first half of the year), players will have more results with which to find a level.

Men’s top 10:

Women’s top 10:

Full lists available at www.worldsquash.org (click on Junior Circuit)

6 time world champion Nicol David retains her spot at the top for another month andJenny Duncalf makes it a further month at no.2. Madeline Perry leaps back above Laura Massaro to return to number 3 whilst Rachael Grinham also jumps back above Kasey Brown to return to number 5.

Natalie Grinham moves up to number 8, her highest ranking since August 2010.Samantha Teran’s strong year in 2011, including a semi final place at the World Open has seen her move up one to number 12, her highest ranking since November 2010 and one away from her highest ranking of 11.

Dipika Pallikal won her 3^rd title of 2011 in December at the Crocodile Cup in Hong Kong beating Joey Chan in a thriller, 14-12 in the 5^th. This win sees the Indian number 1 record another milestone as she moves up 2 places to a career high of number 15. Her opponent in the final, Joey Chan, also reaches a career high by moving up 1 place to number 19.

Outside the top 20 there were career highs by a number of players:

Swiss no.1 Gaby Huber moves up to no.29.
World Junior Semi-Finalist Emily Whitlock moves up to no.33.
Australia’s Melody Francis, winner of 5 WSA titles in 2011 moves up to no.34.
Japanese no.1 Misaki Kobayashi moves up to no.37.
Canadian no.1 Samantha Cornett moves up to no.42.
Czech no.2 Olga Ertlova moves up to no.46.
French no.2 Coline Aumard moves into to the top 50 at no.50 for the first time.
England’s Sarah-Jane Perry moves up to no.65 after winning her first title at the Manor Open.

There were further career in the top 100 for:
Korean no.1 Ahn Eun Chan moves up to no.52, New Zealand’s Amanda Landers-Murphy moves up to no.54, Hong Kong’s Liu Tsz-Ling at no.55, Australia’s Sarah Cardwell at no.57, Brazilian no.1 Thaisa Serafini at no.59, Welsh no.1 Tesni Evans at no.60, Australia’s Tamika Saxby at 71, USA’s Kristin Lange at no.80, New Zealand’s Megan Craig at no.81, Australia’s Christine Nunn at no.82, USA’s Elpiniki Clementat no.83, Australia’s Vanessa Pickard at no.84, Canada’s Genevieve Lessard at no.88, England’s Carrie Ramsay at no.89 and Zephanie Curgenven at no.91, France’s Chloe Mesic at no.93, USA’s Sabrina Sobhy at no.95, Scotland’s Alex Clark at no.97 and Australia’s Bethany Brazier at no.98.

Tenille spoke to us briefly and had this to say: “It is with great sadness that I hereby announce my retirement from the international circuit. I have been part of WSA since 2006 and it was only an honour and privilege playing on the international circuit. WSA is very well run and organised and I have never experienced any problems. All the tournaments I have been to, were run in a very professional manner and working with WSA has always been hassle free. Thank you that I had the opportunity to be part of such an amazing organisation, this was the toughest decision I have ever had to make and I will certainly miss all the good times I had on the circuit.”

When asked why she had decided to step away from the tour Tenille added, “The main reason is financial and also set back because of injuries. Also because of my new business opportunity, I am running a new business called soccermom Cape Town; it’s a recruitment company that places drivers with families who can’t transport their kids to and from school and or activities. Almost like aupairing but only for the driving duties, I will also complete my Bcom law degree next year.”

Tenille was one of the brightest stars on the tour and at only 24 years old, already achieved more than most players had done in their careers. She was a former British Junior Open finalist and World Junior Open semi finalist. She reached a career high of 28 in the rankings back in 2008 and won 2 titles on the tour. Recurring injuries saw her ranking fluctuate up until today but every time she dropped down it didn’t take her long to quickly return to the top 50, such is her talent. 

Tenille proved a difficult opponent for a lot of the top players and her results speak for themselves. She held winning records or has beaten the following players: Tania Bailey, Low Wee Wern, Nour El Sherbini, Engy Kheirallah, Emma Beddoes, Aisling Blake, Annelize Naude, Camille Serme, Dipika Pallikal, Donna Urquhart and Isabelle Stoehr. Last year she also took both Vanessa Atkinson and Rachael Grinham to the brink. Impressive. 

Not only was Tenille talented but she was one of the nicest and kindest players on the tour, humble in victory and gracious in defeat. A role model for young players and an ambassador for the game. 

Everyone at WSA wishes Tenille all the best for her marriage, business venture and we hope to see you back on the court someday soon. 

A true South African great.