Nicol David Stretches World Number One Lead

With almost twice the points average of her nearest rival, Nicol David has further stretched her lead at the top of the new December Women's World Rankings, published today by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA).

In a dramatic 95-minute final last week at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, the 23-year-old from Malaysia successfully defended her Women's World Open Championship title to stretch her unbeaten record to 33 matches since March!

After a year outside the top two, Australian Rachael Grinham reclaims the world No2 position from Vanessa Atkinson, pushing the former world champion from the Netherlands down to third place. The older Grinham sister won the Carol Weymuller Open (incorporating the US Open) in October, then reached the semi-finals of both the Hong Kong Open and World Open.

Younger sibling Natalie Grinham, the runner-up in Belfast, holds onto fourth place, while Tania Bailey becomes the highest-ranked English woman for the first time after moving up to No5.

Ireland's Madeline Perry - the local star of the World Open, who successfully reached the quarter-finals - moves up to a career-best-equalling sixth position.

Former world number one Natalie Grainger ends an eight-month absence from the top ten by leaping four places to No7. The 29-year-old from the USA is fighting back after a two-year period fighting injury and illness - and achieved her best run in the World Open for more than four years when she reached the semi-finals in Belfast.

Australia's Kasey Brown, the 21-year-old from Queensland who made the last sixteen at the Ulster Hall unseeded, makes her top 20 debut in the new list, at 17.

Sharon Wee also celebrates a career-high ranking. The 29-year-old from Malaysia, winner of two WISPA World Tour title since September (the Berkshire Open and Wah Cantt Open), moves up to 18.

1 [1] Nicol David MAS
2 [3] Rachael Grinham AUS
3 [2] Vanessa Atkinson NED
4 [4] Natalie Grinham AUS
5 [6] Tania Bailey ENG
6 [7] Madeline Perry IRL
7 [11] Natalie Grainger USA
8 [5] Vicky Botwright ENG
9 [8] Jenny Duncalf ENG
10 [9] Omneya Abdel Kawy EGY
11 [10] Alison Waters ENG
12 [13] Laura-Jane Lengthorn ENG
13 [12] Engy Kheirallah EGY
14 [15] Shelley Kitchen NZL
15 [16] Rebecca Chiu HKG
16 [14] Annelize Naude NED
17 [21] Kasey Brown AUS
18 [19] Sharon Wee MAS
19 [20] Pamela Nimmo SCO
20 [17] Isabelle Stoehr FRA