What's been happening in the world of squash (20th to 26th of February 2017)

Gaultier and El Welily reign in Chicago

Not that anyone doubted that, but Grégory Gaultier proved once again in Chicago that he is still one of the very best players in the world. 2016 was a tough year for the "French General" because of several injuries, though he still won a few tournaments including the World Series Finals in Dubai. Now back to 100 per cent fitness, the 34-year old is having an almost perfect start of 2017: he was runner-up in the ToC and Swedish Open winner before his triumph in the Windy City Open last night - his second one after 2014. He had a bad start in the final though, losing his first game of the tournament to the hero of the week Marwan El Shorbagy - who had beaten his brother Mohamed for the first time in the quarters. "Marwan came into the match full of confidence, Gaultier said during his post-match speech. In the first game, we were playing at his rhythm and he was the better player. I had to find a solution, play at a higher pace and impose myself on the T." After a close second game, won by the Frenchman 11-8, Shorbagy Jr started to show signs of fatigue, consequence of a draining week physically as well as emotionally. So much that the last two games were all in favour of Gaultier (11-2, 11-4). "He had a tougher road than I did to the final, admitted the victor. But this tournament could be a breakthrough for him, like me when I reached the final in the 2006 World Open in Egypt. This is the result that catapulted my career. Marwan has all what it takes to be a top 4 player." Numbers prove the Frenchman right: since the end of 2006, he was never ranked lower than 6 in the world! Since he was not playing at this time last year due to an ankle injury, this title will enable him to close the gap in the rankings with Karim Abdel Gawad and Mohamed El Shorbagy, ousted in the quarters in Chicago. Tournament director John Flanigan also made a couple of important announcements during the prize ceremony: not only the windy city could host the 2018 World Championship, but also the annual event will reach a total prize money of $500,000 (men's and women's) hence the highest number in the history of the sport! "I remember the first time I came here, Gaultier added. It was a $10,000 and we were playing behind the kitchen. It's great to see this event growing up again and again." In the shorter-term future, the world number 3 - as well as all the PSA World Tour stars - will be back in action at British Open in Hull from the 21st to the 26th of March.

Raneem El Welily and Grégory Gaultier were impressive all week in the Windy City Open (Photo credit: Windy City Open)

In the women's draw, it is Raneem El Welily who prevailed and won her third consecutive Windy City Open. “Winning three times in a row is so unlike me," she said after the match. "I'm happy I managed to do that.” The final was a carbon copy of 2016, where El Welily had also dropped the first game against compatriot Nour El Sherbini before dominating the rest of the match thanks to a display of amazing attacking shots, especially on her backhand. "Nour played really well in the beginning and I wasn't sharp enough,” said El Welily. “Half way through the first game I started to find my spots and my angles. Even though I lost it, I knew that I was on my way to find the right plan. I am very glad with how I performed after a tough match yesterday – I didn't expect to play that well." In the semis, she had overcome a fierce resistance from another Egyptian girl, Nouran Gohar, winning 11-9 in the fifth game after being 2-1 down. Meanwhile El Sherbini had ended Camille Serme's winning streaks - twelve matches in a row on the PSA World Tour and two consecutive World Series titles). The Frenchwoman won the first game but the world number 1 took the upper hand after that. "Camille felt a bit tired," Serme's coach Philippe Signoret. "She kept on fighting but Nour was in World Champion mode. You really have to play at your best to have any chance against her, and Camille wasn't able to do that after all her matches in Cleveland and the previous rounds here." With the top players being closer to each other than ever, the end of the season promises to be fascinating. It'll start with the British Open at the end of March immediately followed by the World Championship in El Gouna. 

A very determined Nour El Sherbini ended Camille Serme's winning streaks (Photo credit: Windy City Open)

The rest of the news

--- There were very few changes in the March PSA World Rankings, which were released before the outcome of the Windy City Open. In the men's, James Willstrop has moved up to No.6, reaching his highest ranking since November 2014. Mohamed ElShorbagy holds the number 1 for a 15th successive month. Simon Rösner, Fares Dessouky and Ryan Cuskelly all reach career best at No.9, 11 and 12. In the women's rankings, the only change in the top 20 was the rise of Tesni Evans from 21st to 19th.

Former world number 1 James Willstrop continues to climb back up the rankings (Photo credit: Windy City Open)

--- After the men's the weekend before, it was the women's turn to compete for the College Squash Association National Team Championship last weekend in Princeton. Number 1 seed Harvard earned their fifth national championship in the last six years, including three straight, with a victory over Penn, 7-2. The Crimson won the opening five matches, securing the title early against the Quakers. They finished unbeaten for the second-straight season and clinched their 17th title. They even have won 38 consecutive matches since a loss to the Quakers in January 2015. After seniors Katie Tutrone and Dileas MacGowan took care of business with 3-0 wins over their opponents, sophomore Kayley Leonard was 10-6 down in the fifth game against Marie Stephan before winning the next six points and the match. Alyssa and Sophie Mehta then brought the title to their team in the second set of matches. In the number 1 match, Penn's Reeham Salah defeated Sabrina Sobhy in four games. These two girls will be contenders for the CSA Individual Championships at Dartmouth next weekend.

Harvard's women's team clinched their 17th national title last weekend in Princeton (Photo credit: gocrimson.com/sports/wsquash)

--- Two $5,000 men's tournaments were taking place in Canada last week. In Calgary, Eric Galvez won his first PSA tournament in almost two years. The former world number 33 had a very easy route to the final where he was facing local favourite, Andrew Schnell. Galvez took a 2-game lead but the Canadian came back and forced a decider. But it was the Mexican who prevailed in the fifth to win his fourteenth title. In Toronto, Leandro Romiglio clinched his fourth trophy, not dropping a game all week. Including in the final against seed number 1 Geoffrey Demont. The Frenchman had had a tough battle in the semis against Stephane Galifi and did not fully recover.