Tesni Evans has blasted her way into the world’s top 10 squash players – the first Welsh women in history to achieve the feat.
The Cardiff-born, Rhyl-based player has reached No 9 in the latest PSA World Rankings – a rise of three places from her previous carer high.
She is the first Welsh player – male or female – to reach the top 10 in the world since David Evans in 2002.
Evans is rewarded for her stunning run at the US Open last month when she became the first Welsh player to reach the semi-finals in Philadelphia.
The 26-year-old beat England’s Sarah-Jane Perry for the first time having also claimed the scalp of New Zealand’s Joelle King.
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Perry is sixth in the November rankings one place ahead of King.
The duo battled for the gold at the Commonwealth Games in Australia in August where Evans took home the bronze medal for Wales.
Egypt’s Nour El Sherbini marks her 23rd birthday with a 31st successive month at World No.1, but she could lose top spot to compatriot Raneem El Welily if the older Egyptian can get further than El Sherbini in the Hong Kong Open later this month.
Evans is also competing in the event where she will be looking to improve on her ranking.
Cambridge-based Ali Loke – formerly Hemingway – has moved up two places to be the second-best Welsh player on the lists in 100th place, also the best of her career.
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And Joel Makin is rewarded for his superb victory over world No 1 Mohamed Elshorbagy in Surrey last month by moving to a career high 30.
The Haverfordwest-born player then went on to reach the quarter-finals of the Qatar Classic this week which should further boost his rankings.
Fellow Welshman Peter Creed, from Caerphilly, has also risen three places to a career high 50.
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