ABERYSTWYTH squash player Rhys Evans has leapt up the world rankings after claiming four tournament victories in his first year as a professional.

Rhys, 20,  due to represent Wales at the European Team Squash Championships in Zurich  between 1-4 May, has been making waves in one of the most physically demanding sports with some notable successes.

The highlight of his debut year in the professional ranks came when he won the East Gloucester Open in Cheltenham, beating Jared Carter 3-0 to secure his first victory on the Challenger Tour.

The tournament was a step up from the Satellite Tour, where Rhys notched up three titles and a succession of semi-final appearances.

Rhys followed up his victory in Cheltenham by reaching the semi-finals of both the Bristol Open and the Aldi Hinckley Challenger, where he lost a five-set match to the eventual winner, Egyptian star Omar El Torkey, in 84 minutes of brutal squash.

Rhys’s world ranking has soared as his reputation has grown, rising from 823 to 177 in such a short space of time.

All his defeats have been against higher ranked players and his rise up the order has caught the eye of former triple world champion Nick Matthew, with whom Rhys has been training at his Sheffield base.

“It’s been a tough year but very satisfying and I’m pleased with the strides I’ve made so far,” said Rhys.

“To progress from the Satellite to the Challenger Tour so quickly has been a surprise – the standard is certainly higher and you’re competing against guys who are nudging the World Tour, which is where I’m aiming to be.”

Rhys, who began playing squash as an eight-year-old with his father, Jason, at the Plascrug Leisure Centre, was Welsh champion at every age level before joining the professional ranks last year.

Having already represented Wales at senior level during the team championships in Helsinki last year, there will be no let-up to his busy schedule as he continues his rise through the ranks.

“I’ll be away in Salzburg in May for the Mozart Open and then, in June, I’ll be competing in the Gibraltar Open. The travel can be tiring but it’s all part of the professional game,” said Rhys.

“It’s a tough sport but I’m determined to keep working and pushing hard to fulfil my dream.”