Nele Coll
{{short description|Belgian squash player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox squash player
| name = Nele Coll
(née Gillis)
| image = Nele Gilis EICC2017 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Nele Gillis in 2017
| fullname =
| nickname =
| country = Belgium
| residence = Geel, Belgium
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1996|2|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = Mol, Belgium
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = {{marriage|Paul Coll|2024}}
| height = 158cm
| weight = 58kg
| turnedpro = 2013
| retired =
| plays = Right Handed
| coach = Ronny Vlassaks
| racquet = Head
| website =
| event = Women's singles
| years_active =
| highest_ranking = No. 4
| date_of_highest_ranking = November 2023
| current_ranking = No. 9
| date_of_current_ranking = December 2024
| WorldOpenresult = QF (2023 PSA Women's World Squash Championship)
| titles = 10
| finals = 18
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Women's squash}}
{{MedalCountry | {{BEL}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | World Team Championships}}
{{MedalBronze | 2024 Hong Kong | Team}}
| updated =
}}
Nele Coll ({{nee|Gilis}}, born 20 February 1996) is a professional squash player who represents Belgium. She reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 4 in November 2023.{{Squash Info}}
Career
As a junior, Coll had significant success and became well-established internationally. She was the European Junior Squash Championships champion in 2014 and a semifinalist at the British Junior Open Squash 2015.{{Cite web|url=http://www.squashsite.co.uk/2016/nelegilisharrow.htm|title=Nele Gilis Harrow Squash Interview|website=www.squashsite.co.uk}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.squashsite.co.uk/bjo/2015_seeds.htm|title=2015 Seeds|website=www.squashsite.co.uk}}
Coll clinched her first PSA World Tour title in 2016 at the Open International Des Volcans with a 3–1 win over Amanda Landers-Murphy leading her to break into the world’s top 40. The next year Nele picked up her second title in the final of the Irish Open in five games against England's Millie Tomlinson.{{Cite web|url=https://psaworldtour.com/players/view/8016/nele-gilis|title=Nele Gilis | Professional Squash Association|website=psaworldtour.com}} Later in 2017 at the start of the season in September, she achieved the biggest result of her professional career at the PSA W25 Open International de Squash de Nantes after reaching the final but coming up short against Englishwoman Fiona Moverley.{{Cite web|url=https://www.squashinfo.com/events/7329-womens-open-international-de-squash-de-nantes-2017|title=Squash Info | Women's Open International de Squash de Nantes 2017 | Squash|website=www.squashinfo.com}}
In May 2023, she reached the quarter final of the 2023 PSA Women's World Squash Championship, before losing to Joelle King.{{cite web |url=https://worldsquashchamps.com/draws/ |title=2023 World Championship draws |website=PSA |access-date=9 May 2023}}
In May 2024, Gillis helped Belgium win their first ever European Squash Team Championships{{cite web |url=https://www.belganewsagency.eu/squash-sisters-lead-belgium-to-first-european-title |title=Sisters lead Belgium to first European squash title |website=Belga News Agency | date=4 May 2024 |access-date=20 December 2024 }} and was a shock third round loser at the 2024 PSA Women's World Squash Championship.{{cite web |url=https://www.squashinfo.com/events/10361-womens-world-championship-2024 |title=$565,000 Women's 2023-2024 CIB PSA World Championship 2024, National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Cairo, Egypt |website=Squash Info |access-date=20 December 2024 }} Later that year in December 2024, the now married Coll helped Belgium win the bronze medal at the 2024 Women's World Team Squash Championships.{{cite web |url=https://www.worldsquash.org/egypt-complete-historic-clean-sweep-of-wsf-world-squash-team-championship-titles/ |title=Egypt complete historic clean sweep of WSF World Squash Team Championship titles |website=World Squash | date=18 December 2024 |access-date=20 December 2024 }}
Personal life
Her younger sister Tinne Gilis is also a professional squash player and her fellow competitor on the PSA World Tour. Her younger brother Jo Gilis is a professional footballer in Belgium who has represented the Belgian national under-16 and under-17 football teams.
She married professional squash player Paul Coll of New Zealand in July 2024.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{WISPA|id=T01395}}
- {{WSA|id=nele-gilis}}
- {{SquashInfo|id=4985}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coll, Nele}}
Category:Belgian female squash players
Category:Competitors at the 2017 World Games