Nicol David Holds Off Atkinson Challenge In March World Rankings

Malaysia's Nicol David maintains her lead ahead of Vanessa Atkinson at the top of the new March Women's World Squash Rankings, issued today by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA), despite losing to her Dutch rival in last month's final of the KL Open in Malaysia.

David, the 22-year-old World Open champion from Penang, moves into her third successive month as world No1, with Vanessa Atkinson in second place ahead of Australian sisters Rachael Grinham and Natalie Grinham at three and four, respectively; and England's Vicky Botwright in fifth place.

Atkinson, with two WISPA World Tour titles to her name already this year, is seeded to add a third this week in New York, where she is currently competing in the Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions (results of which are not included in the March rankings).

USA's Natalie Grainger, a quarter-finalist in last month's KL Open and Apawamis Open, moves up to No6 in the new list.

England's Jenny Duncalf - winner of the last WISPA event of 2005, the Canary Islands Open, and the first of this year, the Greenwich Open in the USA - celebrates a career-best world No7 ranking. The 23-year-old from Harrogate in Yorkshire also becomes the second-highest ranked English player in the list for the first time.

Ireland's Madeline Perry, an unseeded semi-finalist in Kuala Lumpur, continues her relentless surge up the rankings - rising a further place to a career-high No9.

1 [1] Nicol David MAS
2 [2] Vanessa Atkinson NED
3 [3] Rachael Grinham AUS
4 [4] Natalie Grinham AUS
5 [5] Vicky Botwright ENG
6 [7] Natalie Grainger USA
7 [8] Jenny Duncalf ENG
8 [6] Linda Elriani ENG
9 [10] Madeline Perry IRL
10 [9] Tania Bailey ENG
11 [11] Omneya Abdel Kawy EGY
12 [12] Alison Waters ENG
13 [13] Laura-Jane Lengthorn ENG
14 [14] Annelize Naude NED
15 [16] Shelley Kitchen NZL
16 [18] Fiona Geaves ENG
17 [17] Rebecca Chiu HKG
18 [15] Isabelle Stoehr FRA
19 [19] Pamela Nimmo SCO
20 [20] Engy Kheirallah EGY