Nicol David Extends Grip On World Number One Ranking

Malaysia's Nicol David moves into her 16th month as world number one, according to the new August Women's World Squash Rankings published today by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA).

Victory in last month's CIMB Malaysian Open on home soil has extended the 23-year-old from Penang's lead ahead of second-placed Australian Natalie Grinham, a surprise semi-final casualty in Kuala Lumpur.

David's KL triumph marked her 20th WISPA Wold Tour title - and her 14th successive Tour final since reaching her first World Open climax in Hong Kong in December 2005.

The world number one will join her WISPA colleagues in their ongoing pursuit of Tour silverware at the inaugural CIMB Singapore Masters which gets underway today.

Natalie Grinham's older sister Rachael Grinham is at three in the new list, ahead of England's Tania Bailey - runner-up in KL - at four, and USA's Natalie Grainger at number five.

New Zealand's Shelley Kitchen leaps three places to a career-high No10 in the new list. The 27-year-old from Auckland, winner of the bronze medal in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, clinched the titles in the two most recent WISPA Tour events in which she competed - the North Shore Open in her homeland in June and the Australian Open last month.

Compatriot Jaclyn Hawkes is also enjoying a best-ever ranking this month after moving to 19 following an impressive Tour run which included a surprise final berth in the Irish Open in April.

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