Camille Serme capped a “special” 24 hours by fighting back to claim a 2-1 win in her PSA Dubai World Tour Finals opener yesterday, the day after being crowned the PSA Women’s Player of the Year.

The Frenchwoman, the number one seed in Dubai, dropped the opening game at Dubai Opera to England’s Alison Waters yesterday, before rallying back to comfortably win the next to and get her tournament off to the best possible start.

Waters, 33, took the opening set 11-9 but had no answer to Serme who surged back, dropping just eight points in the next two, to claim them 11-5 and 11-3 and overall victory.

Serme, 28, was thrilled to have got off to the perfect start having been honoured at a glittering bash on the eve of the opening day with the women’s award after a breakthrough season.

She became the first Frenchwoman to win the US Open and Tournament of Champions – making her the only women’s player to win two World Series titles this season.

“It was very special for me,” said the world number three of an award she feels proves she is developing.

“A few years ago I won the Most Improved Player (2009) and Young Player (2007, both Women’s Squash Association), so in my mind I was really hoping to get this one day. I had butterflies in my stomach last night and my dad is here with me too, so he was very happy too.”

Serme admitted she also dealt with nerves during her opening game before quickly overcoming them to win.

“I felt a bit nervous,” she added. “I think the event and the venue got in my head a little bit. It’s quite scary. I had to fight. Perhaps I was not playing my best but I thought I had to fight. It’s a special venue and you want to play well, and enjoy it as much as you can.”