Ong Beng Hee Back In Single Figures In New World Rankings

While Egypt's world champion Amr Shabana extends his reign at the top of the August Dunlop PSA Men's World Rankings, published today by the Professional Squash Association, Malaysian Ong Beng Hee celebrates his return to a single-figure ranking for the first time since December 2003.

Fighting back to the form which led the former world junior champion to a career-high No7 ranking in 2001, Ong Beng Hee has enjoyed great success this year - winning his first PSA Tour title for three years at the KL Open in May, then returning to his homeland last month to clinch the third Malaysian Open title of his career.

The UK-based Malaysian jumps two places in the new list to No9.

Frenchman Gregory Gaultier remains in second place, ahead of England's James Willstrop at three; Shabana's fellow countryman Ramy Ashour at No4, and Australia's recently-crowned British Open champion David Palmer at five.

Lower in the list, Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema celebrates his highest-ever ranking of 15. The 25-year-old from The Hague secured the seventh Tour title of his career at the Bluenose Classic in Canada in February after reaching the final of the National Capital Open in the USA earlier in the month.

Outside the top 20, Egyptian Omar Mosaad rises to a career-high 23rd place, boosted by his title success in the Scott Wealth Management Open in the USA in June.

The August rankings also mark a record-equalling 13 countries represented by players in the top 30.

1 [1] Amr Shabana EGY
2 [2] Gregory Gaultier FRA
3 [3] James Willstrop ENG
4 [4] Ramy Ashour EGY
5 [5] David Palmer AUS
6 [6] Thierry Lincou FRA
7 [7] Nick Matthew ENG
8 [8] Karim Darwish EGY
9 [11] Ong Beng Hee MAS
10 [10] Peter Barker ENG
11 [12] Lee Beachill ENG
12 [9] Wael El Hindi EGY
13 [13] Mohd Azlan Iskandar MAS
14 [15] Adrian Grant ENG
15 [16] Laurens Jan Anjema NED
16 [14] Stewart Boswell AUS
17 [17] Olli Tuominen FIN
18 [18] Cameron Pilley AUS
19 [19] John White SCO
20 [20] Shahier Razik CAN