Get to Know…. The 2016 NASH Cup Rookies
There are only six (6) rookies in the main draws of the 2016 NASH Cup. Great to have so many returning players. Below we profile all but Canada’s Samantha Cornett, who will be featured in our next posting (The Canadians).
Christine Nunn – Australia, rank 37
Christine joined the Tour in 2008 but faced a six year wait for her first title, which came at the New South Wales event in August 2014 where she upset Coline Aumard in the final.
The Australian doubled her tally three months later at the Queensland Open and nearly made it a trio of Tour titles on home-soil when she made it to the final of the WA Open in May 2015 but missed out to top seed Megan Craig.
Christine reached cracked the top 100 in September 2011 and has never looked back. She reached her top ranking of 36th in July and enters the 2016 NASH Cup in 37th. From London she will continue to the $150K Delaware Investments US Open in Philadelphia which starts October 6th.
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/christine.abia.54
Twitter – @christine_nunn1
Misaki Kobayashi – Japan, rank 48
Japan’s Misaki Kobayashi first joined the Tour in 2005 but would have to wait five years before she could lift her first Tour title. It came at the NSC Series No1 event in April 2010 where she triumphed over England’s Lauren Selby in the final.
She would go on to win the Hashim Khan Championship in 2012 and followed that up with a title on home-soil at the Pro Squash in Japan Yokohoma event a year later.
Kobayashi added a couple of titles to her collection in 2014 and finished her 2014/15 season in style with success at the NZ Southern Open in June. She has been in the world’s top 100 since November 2008 and reached a rank of 29th in early 2014. Like Christine Misaki will continue from London to the Delaware Investments US Open in Philly.
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/misakikobayashisquash/
Twitter – @mskobayashi16
Reyna Pacheco – The United States, rank 83
Reyna joined the PSA in 2014 and climbed into the top hundred in October 2015. She reached her top ranking of 77th in July.
She’s been very active, playing in 12 tournaments in the year leading into the NASH Cup and scheduled for another 6 before the end of 2016. The PSA site offers little by way of a Biography. She’ll be coming to London directly from China and the Squash Challenge Cup. From London she’s registered in the NetSuite Open in San Francisco.
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/squash.rocks.mylife
Web site – https://pachecoreyna.wordpress.com/
Olli Tuominen – Finland, rank 47
Finnish Nationals star Olli Tuominen is one of the most recognizable names in Finnish squash. The experienced Fin, from Helsinki, won titles at his first two PSA World Tour events when he took home both the Lakeshore Classic and Versilia Open.
His fifth title came at the Rennes Open in 2000 and he followed that up with another title in 2001.
Tuominen would face an agonizing 7 year wait for his 7th PSA World Tour title but it came on home-soil at the Savcor Finnish Open in 2008, an event that he would go on to retain in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.
February 2014 saw the Fin win an incredible record 15th successive Finnish Nationals title but he struggled to claim any PSA World Tour titles in 2015. September of that year saw him drop out of the world’s top 40 for the first time in 16 years.
In its nine year history Olli is one of only three NASH Cup professional participants born in the 1970s (1979). He is the tournament veteran with something to prove. He also has a local connection having competed with Jay Francis in the past.
Website – http://ollituominen.com
Jaymie Haycocks – England, rank 88
Jaymie Haycocks joined the PSA World Tour in 2006 and would reach his first PSA World Tour final five years later where he lost to Andrew Wagih Shoukry. His first title came at the Paraguay Open in 2013 with his second, at the 4th Cerdil Squash Open, coming a week later.
Haycocks went on something of a title drought after that but came exceedingly close at the City of Devonport Tasmanian Open in July 2015 where he fell to India’s Kush Kumar.
Jaymie was ranked as high as 50th in May 2014 and has been in the top 100 since May 2012. He’s currently on the reserve list to continue to the Delaware Investments US Open on October 6th.
Twitter – @jaymiehaycocks