U.S. Champions Amanda Sobhy and Chris Hanson both moved up in January’s PSA World Tour rankings.
Sobhy, twenty-five years old, moved up two spots from world No. 13 to No. 11–her highest world ranking since returning to the PSA World Tour last year following an Achilles Rupture. Sobhy’s new ranking follows a third round appearance at the Hong Kong Open in November and reaching the quarterfinals of the FS Investments U.S. Open and Carol Weymuller Open in October.
Hanson, twenty-eight years old, ended 2018 on a high note by winning the $11,000 Securian Open in December–his fifth career PSA title. The result sent the two-time defending U.S. champion up three spots from world No. 66 to No. 63. Hanson will make an appearance as the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions wild card later this month.
Todd Harrity remains Team USA’s top-ranked men’s player, retaining his world No. 48 ranking for a fourth-consecutive month. U.S. veteran Chris Gordon improved seven positions moving up to world No. 78 from 85.
Twenty-five-year old Haley Mendez achieved a career high ranking of world No. 42, joining U.S. teammates Sobhy and world No. 19 Olivia Blatchford in the world’s top fifty. The Harvard graduate reached the final of the Boston Open last month in England.
Princeton graduate Olivia Fiechter flourished at the end of 2018, winning her first career event at the Rhode Island Open in November, followed by two surprise quarterfinal appearances at the Monte Carlo Classic and London Open, and reaching the Remeo Open final in December. The positive string of results sent Fiechter up twelve places from world No. 69 to No. 57, just behind Penn senior Reeham Sedky at world No. 56.
Harvard senior Sabrina Sobhy made a surprise run to the London Open final in December, which sent the Pan Ams Championships double gold medalist up thirteen places from world No. 77 to No. 64.
Sixteen year old and recent U.S. Junior Open champion Marina Stefanoni moved up two places to a career high of world No. 69 ahead of her second wild card appearance at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions later this month.