Guyana’s world ranked squash player Nicolette Fernandes last week received the Women’s Squash Association’s (WSA) 2013 Sportsmanship Award in Malaysia.
Fernandes, ranked 20th in the world, advanced to the last 16 at the Women’s World Championship in Penang, Malaysia after completing one of the biggest upsets of the competition when she came from two games down to topple 2007 World Champion and former world number one Rachael Grinham.
While her excellence on court has been phenomenal, the world body WSA, recognised and rewarded her for her general decorum.
According to the WSA website, the Sportsmanship Award is given to “a player who shows great fairness, respect and ethics on and off the court.”
The winners were chosen by an independent expert panel made up of journalists, former players and squash experts and the presentation ceremony was held during the World Championship in Penang.
Fernandes and the other awardees had the privilege of receiving their awards from five-time World Champion and WSA legend Sarah Fitzgerald. In 2006 Fernandes was named Most Improved Player of the Year by the Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA).
But it was not all off court success for Fernandes.
Competing in the (WSA) 29th Women’s World Championships in Penang, Malaysia on Tuesday, Fernandes recorded a come from behind win over Grinham winning 4-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-7.
“The game changer, you guys will probably laugh, but I told myself to go in there and be a lion. I was too passive before and I needed to be more in it and be an animal on court.” Fernandes said according to Thatsquashthing.tumblr.com.
Fernandes captured the third game 12-10 before completing the dramatic victory with stunning back-to-back wins in the fourth and fifth games 11-8 and 11-7 respectively. The match lasted an hour and three minutes.
Fernandes had previously defeated the former world champion Grinham in December 2012 in the first round of the main draw of the Women’s World Squash Open in Cayman Islands.
Fernandes, though, lost in the next round to world number six Camille Serme of France 14-12, 11-5,11-3 in an encounter which lasted 38 minutes.
