England's Nick Matthew On Top Of The World

2013 World Champion Nick Matthew has leapfrogged Egypt's Ramy Ashour and Frenchman Gregory Gaultier to top the first Dunlop PSA Men's World Squash Rankings of 2014.

The Englishman followed up November's PSA World Championship triumph with a maiden Hong Kong Open title in December to cap an impressive end-of-year run and leap from third to first on the rankings, ending Ashour's 12-month grip on top spot.

"I'm playing the best squash of my career at the moment and that's something I want to carry through into 2014 with the Commonwealth Games coming to the UK," said Matthew.

"2013 was a really special year for me," continued the 33-year-old from Sheffield. "Winning the World Championship in Manchester was amazing and winning in Hong Kong after so many years of trying was a great way to end the year.

"I got married as well which was one of the most important things so it was a great year for me all round.

"To now start the year as world No1 makes that experience even better. I'm going to enjoy being back at No1 and I'm looking forward to hopefully continuing that success in 2014."

Matthew's ascendency from third to first sees Ashour, who ended 2013 plagued by injury, drop to third in the rankings while Gaultier maintains his No2 ranking.

Elsewhere in the top 20, Egypt's Tarek Momen has overtaken countryman Omar Mosaad to 11th spot with Germany's Simon Rosner rising from 16th to 13th.

Egypt's Karim Abdel Gawad celebrates a career-high ranking - jumping three places to a best-ever No16.

For the full January 2014 Dunlop PSA Men's World Rankings, see www.squashinfo.com/rankings/psa