(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Armstrong Vas / The Peninsula
Peruvian Diego Elias (pictured) is one young upcoming player on the PSA Tour who has earned acclaim from many quarters and one who has showed the promise to make the top rankings his own in the coming years.
In the Qatar Classic, the 20-year-old stunned the former World No.1 James Willstrop in the first round and then eased past Indian qualifier Saurav Ghosal but his brilliant run came to end in the quarter-finals against World No.1 Gregory Gaultier of France.
Elias has a lot to offer to the game in the coming years and the current season has been a breakthrough year for him.
'I have been playing really well this season. Last month, I beat five top-ten players and right now I am 14 in the world and this could be my season.
The Peruvian, who is on his fourth season on the circuit, said he has set two targets for the season, to qualify for the season ending PSA championship in Dubai and to break into the top-10.
'I am starting to get closer to the top ten and top five, feeling really good. I want to perform on a consistent basis on the PSA Series and then qualify for the Dubai season ending event, he said, while talking to The Peninsula.
Elias, who started playing squash at the age of three, went to do well in the World Championships.
'My other priority is World Championship, I want to do well and I have a feeling I will do well, he added.
Elias is optimistic that after gaining considerable experience on the Circuit he will be able to take the number one spot in the ranking hierarchy.
'I am too young. If you see the records almost all the players who have been on the top have made it to the highest rank after gaining experience and after winning many tournament. Hopefully, my time will come.
Elias is one of the few Latin Americans players who feature in the top-twenty, along with Cesar Salazar of Mexico and Miguel Angel Rodriguez of Colombia and the trio have built a special relationship while playing and travelling around the world.
'There are not many Latin Americans on the tour, just Rodriguez and me and then a player from Mexico (Cesar), so the Latin players help each other. We travel all time together and we know each other very well, we always help each other, added Elias, who said taking a coach along to each of the tournament does not make business sense.
'Me and Rodriguez have not played against each other for a long time, the last time we played was two years ago, informed Elias.
The World No.14 said there are many promising players coming through the ranks from the Latin American region and the further argue he added.
'Finding sponsorship for squash is difficult but for a top ranked player it is not so, it was hard to get people to back you a few years ago but the sports is growing and sponsors are getting associated with the game in Latin American countries.
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