David Consolidates World No3 Position

While Australia's Rachael Grinham moves into her 13th consecutive month as world number one in the new August Women's World Squash Rankings, produced by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA), Malaysia's Nicol David has strengthened her status as world number three behind second-placed Vanessa Atkinson.

David, 21, from Penang, beat both Grinham and Atkinson last month en-route to becoming the first local player in the event's 31-year history to win the Women's Malaysian Open. The victory marked the former world junior champion's sixth international title of the year - including the gold medal at the World Games in Germany in July.

In a largely-unchanged top twenty, France's Isabelle Stoehr is one of only two players to rise. After moving to Manchester in England last year, the 26-year-old has recently returned to her home country to live in Chambery - and moves up to 15, just three places away from her career-high world No12.

Home success in July's Crocodile Challenge Cup in Hong Kong takes Rebecca Chiu back to a career-high-equalling No16 in the new list.

Another player celebrating a best-ever world ranking is Mexico's Samantha Teran. The 24-year-old from Mexico City has made a rapid recovery since undergoing surgery for a knee injury sustained in October 2003. After falling out of the top 100 last year, Teran scored two successive WISPA World Tour victories in the middle of this year - at the Vancouver International and La Hacienda Open in Colombia - and rises to a career-high world No31.

New Zealand's Jaclyn Hawkes is also celebrating a world ranking breakthrough after winning her maiden WISPA title last month. Seeded five, the 22-year-old from Dunedin despatched the first, third and fourth seeds to lift the Mortgage Choice South Australian Open trophy - and make her top 50 debut at 44.

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