While Egypt’s Amr Shabana continues to head the rankings it is his home nation that steals the headlines in the new October list - with three Egyptians in the top six for the first time.

Shabana, the 29-year-old from Cairo who extends his unbroken reign as world number one to 31 months, is joined in the top six by fourth-placed Ramy Ashour, the now 21-year-old from Cairo, and Karim Darwish – the 27-year-old from Cairo who celebrates his highest ranking for more than four years by rising to No6.

Marriage to fellow Egyptian international Engy Kheirallah last December seems to have revitalised Darwish’s career:  The former world junior champion won the Oregon Open in Canada in February as the No2 seed, then went on to exceed his seeding in the British Open, reaching the semi-finals.  Seeded four, Darwish marked his 20th PSA Tour final appearance in August in the climax of the Petrosport International on home soil.

The trio will be next be in action later this month in England in the Hi-Tec World Open in Manchester – where defending champion Shabana will be hoping to become only the fourth player in history to win the sport’s most prized title for a fourth time.

Shabana heads an unchanged top five, with Frenchman Gregory Gaultier in second place, ahead of England's James Willstrop at three; and Australia's British Open champion David Palmer at five.

Up to 11th place in the October list is Peter Barker, the Englishman who denied David Palmer a victory in his 50th Tour final appearance at the Merritt Properties Open in Baltimore.  Barker clinched his second upset over the Australian in two weeks to secure the 12th Tour title of his career.

While Egypt's world champion Amr Shabana extends his reign at the top of the August Men's World Rankings, 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 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.

July 2008:
28 Months for Shabana

In an unchanged top twenty list, world champion Amr Shabana celebrates his 28th successive month as world number one in the July World Rankings.

The run confirms the Egyptian's status as the fifth longest-standing world number one of all-time - behind Pakistanis Jansher Khan and Jahangir Khan, Englishman Peter Nicol and Australian Geoff Hunt.

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.

Pakistan's Aamir Atlas Khan consolidates his status as the highest-ranked teenager by rising to a career-high 23.  The 17-year-old from Peshawar justified his top seeding in last month's $30k CAS International by winning in Islamabad to bring his Tour title triumphs on home soil to three.

Egyptian Omar Mosaad also celebrates a best-ever ranking.  The 20-year-old from Cairo won the Scott Wealth Management Open in June in California, USA, against expectation - and now rises to 24.

Victory in last month's Dunlop British Open has taken Australia's David Palmer back into the world top five.

Egypt's world champion Amr Shabana moves into his 27th successive month at the top of the new list, ahead of second-placed Frenchman Gregory Gaultier; England's James Willstrop close behind at three; and Shabana's fellow countryman Ramy Ashour at No4.

Former world number one Palmer affirmed his status as one of the sport's greats when he beat James Willstrop in a dramatic British Open final in Liverpool to claim the prestigious title for a fourth time.  The rejuvenated 31-year-old from New South Wales, now based in Boston, USA, took his PSA Tour title haul to 22 - more than any other current player an the Tour.

Palmer, who has maintained an unbroken presence in the world's top ten since September 2000, now celebrates his 81st month in the top five.

Peter Barker, the English left-hander who achieved his second successive quarter-final berth in the British Open in May, moves back into the top ten to a career-equalling-high No10.

Laurens Jan Anjema enhances his status as the highest-ranked Dutchman of all-time by rising to a best-ever 16th place in the new list.  The 25-year-old from The Hague celebrated his seventh Tour win at the Bluenose Classic in Canada in February.

Shahier Razik brings the number of nations represented in the world top twenty to nine - and becomes the first Canadian in the elite list since December 2006 by rising to a career-high No20.  The 30-year-old from Toronto celebrated his 27th PSA Tour final appearance, and his 18th title, when he won the Talisman Energy Bankers Hall Club Open on home soil in January.

Of note, too, is the five position leap by Miguel Angel Rodriguez to a career-best No23 ranking.  The 22-year-old from Bogotá has become the highest-ranked Colombian of all-time - and, at just 22, already boasts eight titles from 15 final appearances since April 2005!

While Egypt's world champion Amr Shabana maintains his lead at the top of the May Dunlop PSA Men's World Squash Rankings, Frenchman Gregory Gaultier moves up to second place in the new list.

Shabana, the 28-year-old from Cairo now in his 26th successive month as world number one, strengthened his position at the top by winning the $200,000 Kuwait Open title last month - beating his second-seeded compatriot Ramy Ashour in the final.

But Ashour, who had defeated Shabana earlier in the month in the final of the Hurghada International in Egypt, has slipped two positions to No4 - behind Gaultier and England's James Willstrop.

Gaultier, who defends his British Open title in Liverpool next week, lost out to Shabana in the Kuwait semi-finals.

Willstrop has enjoyed an impressive run of form this year - winning three PSA Tour events in a row in Sweden, the USA and the UK before ending his 15-match unbeaten run in the Kuwait quarter-finals.

Victory in the Dayton Open in January and a surprise semi-final berth in Kuwait takes Thierry Lincou back into the world top five after a seven-month absence. 

Malaysia's Ong Beng Hee has much to celebrate after jumping two places to No10 - marking his first appearance in the top ten since December 2003.