2021 is almost over, and depending on what happens over the next couple of days, Nour El Sherbini’s reign at the summit of the women’s World Rankings could also be over come January 1st.
Nour El Sherbini, who is close to having spent a total of four years at World No.1, currently has an average of 1,962.778 points, while Nouran Gohar sits on 1,738.333 prior to the CIB Squash Open Black Ball
Despite that gap of 224 points in the rankings, that could all change come the start of 2022, depending on what takes place in the final stages of this week’s event at the Black Ball Sporting Club in Cairo.
So, who needs what to secure the World No.1 spot? Currently, El Sherbini has a hold of it, and if she were to clinch the CIB Squash Open Black Ball title on Thursday, it would be an emphatic way to keep hold of top spot in the World Rankings. Here is what both women need to reach, or stay, at the summit.
For Nouran Gohar to become World No.1
– Gohar wins CIB Squash Open Black Ball
– El Sherbini loses in the semi-finals while Gohar reaches the final
For Nour El Sherbini to remain World No.1
– El Sherbini wins CIB Squash Open Black Ball
– Gohar loses in the semi-finals, while El Sherbini reaches the final
– Both Gohar and El Sherbini lose in the semi-finals
Over the course of the last 15 months, El Sherbini has secured a further five major titles to add to her impressive trophy cabinet, beating World No.2 Gohar in four of those finals.
El Sherbini with the Allam British Open title
The biggest of those five titles saw El Sherbini become just the third woman to claim a fifth World Championship crown, doing so at the age of 25. She secured the sport’s biggest prize in Chicago in July of this year.
Since her win at the CIB Egyptian Open in September 2020, the ‘Warrior Princess’ has gone on to win the CIB PSA Black Ball Squash Open, El Gouna International Squash Open and the Allam British Open, along with her World Championships success.
In the same time period, Gohar has won four times, all of which have come within the last six months, as she started with a victory at the season-ending CIB PSA World Tour Finals, before finishing runner-up to El Sherbini in both Chicago and Hull.
She started the new campaign in terrific form, and has lost just once in four tournaments, starting with an incredible run at the CIB Egyptian Open …….