Nicol David Strengthens World Number One Grip

Victory for the second successive year in last month's Dunlop British Open has strengthened Nicol David's grip on pole position in the new October Women's World Squash Rankings, published by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA).

The 23-year-old Malaysian extended her unbeaten run to 17 matches - and four titles - when she beat Australia's Rachael Grinham in the final of the world-renowned event in Nottingham.

David, celebrating her sixth month as world No1, maintains her lead ahead of Vanessa Atkinson, from the Netherlands, at two. At three and four are Queensland sisters Rachael Grinham and Natalie Grinham, ahead of a trio of English players, Vicky Botwright, Jenny Duncalf and Tania Bailey, in fifth, sixth and seventh positions.

Engy Kheirallah, who became the first Egyptian to reach the semi-finals in the 84-year history of the women's British Open, leaps three places to a career-high 12th position. The 24-year-old from Alexandria is now within three places of her illustrious compatriot Omneya Abdel Kawy.

Also boasting a career-best ranking in the new list is England's Dominique Lloyd-Walter, who rises to 19.

Kasey Brown becomes the first new Australian to break into the women's world top 20 for more than five years. The 21-year-old from Eight Mile Plains in Queensland, who has already notched up five WISPA World Tour titles this year, makes her debut at No20.

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 [6] Jenny Duncalf ENG
7 [7] Tania Bailey ENG
8 [8] Madeline Perry IRL
9 [9] Omneya Abdel Kawy EGY
10 [10] Alison Waters ENG
11 [11] Laura-Jane Lengthorn ENG
12 [15] Engy Kheirallah EGY
13 [12] Shelley Kitchen NZL
14 [13] Natalie Grainger USA
15 [14] Rebecca Chiu HKG
16 [17] Annelize Naude NED
17 [16] Isabelle Stoehr FRA
18 [19] Pamela Nimmo SCO
19 [20] Dominique Lloyd-Walter ENG
20 [21] Kasey Brown AUS