11:10 pm
28 Apr 2024

Nicol David Extends World Number One Lead

31 Oct 2006

Following her success in October's Cathay Pacific Swiss Privilege Hong Kong Open, Nicol David has extended her lead at the top of the new November Women's World Squash Rankings, published today by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA).

Victory over England's Tania Bailey in the final extended the 23-year-old Malaysian's unbeaten WISPA World Tour run to 22 matches - and five titles in a row.

Bailey, from Stamford in Lincolnshire, upset two higher-seeded players in the Platinum event in Hong Kong to reach her unexpected place in the final - and moves up to six in the new list.

Vanessa Atkinson, the former world champion from the Netherlands, retains her second place, ahead of Australian sisters Rachael Grinham and Natalie Grinham, at three and four, respectively, and Vicky Botwright at No5.

Natalie Grainger, a former world No1 from the USA, jumps three places to No11 - her highest ranking for seven months - after reaching the final of the Carol Weymuller Open in New York.

England's Dominique Lloyd-Walter celebrates a career-high world ranking in the new list. The 25-year-old from Harrow, who reached the last sixteen in Hong Kong, moves up to 18.

On the eve of the first World Open to be staged in Belfast, Irish star Madeline Perry rises a single place in the rankings to No7. Seeded to reach the quarter-finals at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, Perry was drawn to play compatriot Aisling Blake in the opening round.

Blake, winner of her first WISPA title at the Subway Goshen Open in Indiana, USA, records a career-best 44 ranking in the November list.

In the new WISPA Under 23 rankings, which are also issued today and feature more than one hundred players, Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy is in top spot, ahead of England's Alison Waters.

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] Tania Bailey ENG
7 [8] Madeline Perry IRL
8 [6] Jenny Duncalf ENG
9 [9] Omneya Abdel Kawy EGY
10 [10] Alison Waters ENG
11 [14] Natalie Grainger USA
12 [12] Engy Kheirallah EGY
13 [11] Laura-Jane Lengthorn ENG
14 [16] Annelize Naude NED
15 [13] Shelley Kitchen NZL
16 [15] Rebecca Chiu HKG
17 [17] Isabelle Stoehr FRA
18 [19] Dominique Lloyd-Walter ENG
19 [22] Sharon Wee MAS
20 [18] Pamela Nimmo SCO