By Avenash Ramzan
Guyana’s leading squash player Nicolette Fernandes has jumped to her highest world ranking ever, according to the September release of the World International Squash Players Association (WISPA) rankings.
The 30-year-old is currently ranked number 22 in the world, getting past her previous highest ranking of 26 achieved in June/July this year. Her present ranking is an improvement from August when she was rated 28.
It is a remarkable turnaround for Fernandes, who only at the start of 2009 was rated a lowly 249 after a recurring knee injury had kept her out of competition for a protracted period of time.
Since returning from injury however, Guyana’s most decorated squash player has been on the rise, significantly moving up the ranking with each passing competition.
Such was her outstanding performance that at the end of 2009, Fernandes, who is based in England and is under the expert guidance of award-winning coach Carl Ince, had taken her ranking below 100, ending the year at 88.
Ever since then, it has been a steady climb up the ladder for the multiple Sportswoman-of-the-Year, consistently racking up points and making her way up the WISPA leaderboard.
So far for 2013, Fernandes has played in five WSA World Tour/Series in four countries, namely the United States of America, Malaysia, Ireland and England.
In her first international competition for the year, the Cleveland Open in Ohio, Fernandes got past Heba El Torky of Egypt 6-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4 in the Qualifying Round before losing to England’s Sarah Kippax 11-6, 11-9, 11-3 in the Qualifying Finals in February.
In the Kuala Lumpur Open in Malaysia in March, she got past the Qualifying Round beating Australia’s Lisa Camilleri, but lost to Camille Serme of France in the First Round.
In May, Fernandes produced her best performance of the year on the international stage, finishing as runner-up to number one seed Madeline Perry of France in the Irish Open. During her journey to the final, Fernandes also toppled some leading players, including number two seed Samantha Teran of Mexico, fourth seed Emily Whitlock of England and qualifier Sarah Cardwell of Australia.
After that, she suffered first round exits in the Texas and British Opens in May, crashing out to Deon Saffery of Wales and Rachel Grinham of Australia respectively.
Last month, Fernandes returned home to claim her fifth Caribbean senior title, taking less than 30 minutes to dispose of Barbados’ Karen Meakins 11-6, 11-2, 11-5 in the final of the Caribbean Area Squash Association Senior Championships at the Georgetown Club.
