Wales Ace Tesni Evans Aims For Big Start In World Open Squash

Wales squash player Tesni Evans competes in the first round of the women’s World Championships in El Gouna, Egypt today.

Her opponent is qualifier Rachel Grinham.

Evans, 24, is ranked 18th in the world after reaching the quarter-finals of the £40,000 Cleveland Classic in March.

Her seeding at 16 in the World Championships earned a place in the main draw and Evans said: “I’ve sneaked in as a few people have pulled out.

“It would be good to end on a real high. Egypt is always a place I’ve played well in.”

Evans competed in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, but was knocked out at the final 16.

She hopes her experience in 2016-17 will help to secure a medal for Wales in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia and says: “Glasgow is one of the best things I’ve ever done so I’m very excited there’s a chance of me going to the Gold Coast.

“I will be in a better position than I was four years ago and I’m hoping to do really well there. I would love to win a medal. It is without doubt a goal for me.

“I think the doubles is a definite opportunity for a medal just because doubles is a different game.

“If we can get enough practice in there’s no reason why any of us in the Welsh team cannot grab a medal.”

World number Nour El Sherbini, the 21-year-old from Alexandria, will go into the event as defending champion after becoming the youngest player ever to win the championship by defeating Laura Massaro in last year’s title-decider.

On home soil El Sherbini will be hoping to make it back-to-back wins in a week that will also see the world’s elite male players descend on El Gouna to compete for the annual El Gouna International.

England’s World number two Massaro is relishing the challenge, having returned to form at the British Open to secure her first PSA World Series title since 2015,

Massaro lost out to El Sherbini in last year’s title decider, losing a 2-0 lead in the final, but after reversing that scoreline en route to lifting the British Open for a second time she’s hoping to double-up one again by taking on Egypt’s best in their own back yard.

“All of the girls in the top eight or ten have hit form in recent months and all have the belief that they can win – it’s a hugely exciting time for the fans and the players,” says Massaro.