Matthew keen to stay at top for long time

Sheffield's Nick Matthew admits he was ecstatic afterachieving his lifetime aim after being crowned world No 1.

Matthew's rise to the top of the world game was confirmed at the weekend on his way to winning the Sky Open in Egypt.

A semi-final defeat for Ramy Ashour meant Matthew was the new No 1 once he clinched his place in Saturday's final, where he defeated Karim Darwish 6-11 11-7 12-10 13-11.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I've been a professional since 1998 and I've been working towards this every single day of my life since then," said Matthew.

"Obviously I'm delighted, more so for the people at home such as my parents, family, friends, manager, coach, trainer, physio, etc – I couldn't have done it without their help."

Matthew is the first British player to hold the No 1 spot since fellow Yorkshireman Lee Beachill back in December 2004.

Related topics: