Willstrop & Bailey Retain England Number One Rankings

Yorkshireman James Willstrop and Tania Bailey, from Lincolnshire, have retained their number one positions in the new English national squash rankings issued today by England Squash.

World No6 Willstrop enjoyed a highly successful 2007 following his British National title win for the first time at the beginning of the year. After claiming the inaugural Prince English Grand Prix trophy in Birmingham in September, the 24-year-old from Pontefract in Yorkshire reached the final of the US Open in New York. In December, he led England to a successful defence of the World Team Championship title in India - then returned home to pick up the Mamut English Open crown in Sheffield.

Tania Bailey also had considerable success in 2007, including a runners-up berth in the European Championships in France and reaching the final of the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur. The 28-year-old from Stamford equalled her career-high world No4 ranking throughout most of the year and battled through to the semi-finals of the Women's World Open in Madrid in October.

Nick Matthew, the US Open champion from Sheffield, retains his No2 position in the men's English list, while fellow Yorkshireman Lee Beachill maintains his grip on third place.

Their new England team-mate Peter Barker, the 24-year-old from Upminster in Essex who heroically clinched the World team title for England in the deciding match in Chennai, moves up to a career-high No4 in the new list.

Leeds-based Alister Walker, from Gloucestershire, makes his top ten debut at No7.

In a relatively unchanged women's list, Manchester's Vicky Botwright moves back to number two, ahead of England team-mates Jenny Duncalf, from Harrogate, at three; Londoner Alison Waters at No4; and Lancashire's Laura Lengthorn-Massaro at five.

Men
1 [1] James Willstrop (Yorks)
2 [2] Nick Matthew (Yorks)
3 [3] Lee Beachill (Yorks)
4 [5] Peter Barker (Essex)
5 [4] Adrian Grant (Kent)
6 [6] Jonathan Kemp (Shropshire)
7 [11] Alister Walker (Glos)
8 [7] Bradley Ball (Suffolk)
9 [8] Daryl Selby (Essex)
10 [9] Joey Barrington (Somerset)
11 [10] Simon Parke (Yorks)
12 [12] Stacey Ross (Surrey)
13 [13] Scott Handley (Oxon)
14 [16] Andrew Whipp (Cheshire)
15 [15] Tim Vail (Sussex)
16 [17] Alex Stait (Glos)
17 [24] Chris Ryder (Herts)
18 [22] Ben Ford (Kent)
19 [19] Stephen Meads (Berks)
20 [18] Hadrian Stiff (Devon)

Women
1 [1] Tania Bailey (Lincs)
2 [3] Vicky Botwright (Lancs)
3 [2] Jenny Duncalf (Yorks)
4 [4] Alison Waters (Middx)
5 [5] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (Lancs)
6 [6] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Middx)
7 [7] Lauren Briggs (Essex)
8 [8] Laura Hill (Derbyshire)
9 [10] Sarah Kippax (Cheshire)
10 [9] Rebecca Botwright (Lancs)
11 [11] Suzie Pierrepont (Sussex)
12 [12] Lauren Siddall (Yorks)
13 [15] Emma Beddoes (Warwicks)
14 [14] Kirsty McPhee (Yorks)
15 [-] Vicky Hynes (Warwicks)
16 [13] Georgina Stoker (Merseyside)
17 [-] Emma Chorley (Somerset)
18 [16] Deon Saffery (Yorks)
19 [17] Jenna Gates (Sussex)
20 [18] Rachel Willmott (Sussex)