By Avenash Ramzan
World class Guyanese squash player Nicolette Fernandes maintained her world ranking of 19, according to the latest release from the World International Squash Players Association (WISPA).The 30-year-old achieved the career-best ranking of 19 in October, and has managed to maintain that position in the December release of WISPA.
Since the start of October, Fernandes has competed in five tournaments, and though her performance has not been spectacular by any stretch of imagination, she has done enough to preserve her ranking.
The England-based Guyanese participated in the Carol Weymuller Open in the USA, the US Open and the China Open in October, the Monte Carlo Classic in Monaco in November and the Hong Kong Open earlier this month.
Fernandes failed to get pass the first round in the Carol Weymuller Open and the US Open; she made it to the qualifying final of the China Open, the quarter finals of the Monte Carlo Classic and was knocked out at the second round of the Hong Kong Open.
Her rise up the ranking 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, under the guidance of award-winning coach Carl Ince, had taken her ranking below 100, ending the year at 88.
Ever since, 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 leader board.
In 2013, Fernandes has played in 13 WSA World Tour/ Series in seven countries: United States of America, Malaysia, Ireland, England, China, Monaco and Hong Kong.
In August this year, 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.
