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November 2006:
Ramy
Reaches Top Ten
Following his sensational run to the final of the Hong Kong Open,
Egypt's world junior champion Ramy Ashour sees himself
elevated to the world's top ten in the new November rankings ...
October 2006:
Peter Nicol Bows Out on a Century and a Half!
Howard Harding reports
Amr Shabana makes his mark on the new October Dunlop PSA
Men's World Squash Rankings as world number one for the seventh
month.
But more than a year before the Egyptian made his debut in the list
at 262, Britain's Peter Nicol made his entry in the world top
ten.
And today, the 33-year-old from London who retired from the PSA Tour
last month, makes his final appearance in the rankings at No6 –
marking his 150th successive month in the world's top ten!
 "I
get a strange feeling when I think of this achievement – this
incredible twelve-and-a-half-year journey in squash - but it's one
of which I am immensely proud," said Nicol, who rounded off his
professional career in September when he reach the quarter-finals of
the Al-Ahram World Open in the spectacular setting by the Great
Pyramids of Giza in Egypt - the scene of his World Open triumph in
1999.
With 49 PSA Tour titles to his name and 60 months at the top of the
world rankings, Peter Nicol is one of the most successful squash
players of all-time. In March this year, he fought through a
world-class field to win the singles gold medal in the Commonwealth
Games in Melbourne, later also clinching gold in the Men's Doubles
to claim his fourth Games gold medal since 1998.
 "One
of the vivid memories of my 14 years as CEO of the World Squash
Federation came on 13 November 1993," recalls Ted Wallbutton,
now the Professional Squash Association's Marketing Executive.
"I was in Doha for the Qatar International and, for the first time,
saw Peter Nicol play. His huge talent was obvious and it was no
surprise to me that he was in the top 10 just six months later.
"In those 150 months since then that Peter has graced the PSA top
10, he has shown flawless sportsmanship, great charm and effortless
wit. His amazing record is unique in Squash and outstanding in any
sport - and he has added immeasurably to the reputation of Squash
and the PSA.
Victory in the World Open sees David Palmer close the gap
behind Shabana in the October list. The second-placed Australian was
knocked out of last month's semi-finals of the Dunlop British Open
by Thierry Lincou, but stretches his lead above the third-placed
Frenchman who ended as runner up in Nottingham.
Anthony Ricketts, the Super Series Finals champion who was a
surprise first round casualty in the British Open, rises to four in
the new list, overtaking England's James Willstrop.
The biggest top 20 rise is achieved by Egypt's Ramy Ashour,
the record two-times world junior champion who reached the World
Open quarter-finals unseeded, then made it into the semi-finals of
the St Louis Open. The 19-year-old from Cairo leaps eight places
into the top 20 at No13.
The domestic rivalry between Malaysians Ong Beng Hee and Mohd Azlan
Iskandar takes an unusual step in the October list, where both are
neck-and-neck at No16. Beng Hee fought through to the last eight of
the British Open as a qualifier.
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April
2006:
Shabana reaches the top
 Egypt's
Amr Shabana becomes world number one for the first time in
the new April Dunlop PSA Men's World Rankings. The 26-year-old World
Open champion from Cairo is the tenth player to top the world list
since the inaugural rankings were produced more than 20 years ago –
but is the first Egyptian.
Shabana rocked the squash world
in December 2003 when he won the World Open for the first time in
Pakistan – where he was the ninth seed! After a dismal 2004, in
which he only reached one PSA Tour final, the stylish left-hander
came back with a vengeance in 2005 when he picked up four titles
from six final appearances – and finished the year in stunning style
by becoming world champion for the second time in Hong Kong.
 He
has collected a further two PSA Trophies this year – winning the
Canadian Classic in Toronto in January and the Tournament of
Champions last month at Grand Central Terminal in New York, to bring
his career title total to 11.
The new ranking list is the first since Canada's Jonathon Power
announced his surprise retirement shortly after topping the list in
March.
While Australia's David Palmer retains second place, James Willstrop
consolidates his position as the highest-ranked Englishman by moving
up to three, ahead of fourth-placed Frenchman Thierry Lincou.
Australia's Anthony Ricketts and England's Peter Nicol move up to
five and six, respectively, while Englishman Nick Matthew –
runner-up at last month's Tournament of Champions – rises three
places to seven, his highest ranking for more than a year.
Malaysia's two players in the world top 20 are also on the rise: Ong
Beng Hee moves up to No14 to celebrate his best ranking for almost
two years, while Mohd Azlan Iskandar rises a single place to No12 to
mark a career-best ranking. |
March 2006:
Power Back at
Number One
Canada's Jonathon Power returns to number one in the new
March Dunlop PSA Men's World Squash Rankings – bringing about the
fourth change at the top of the rankings in as many months for the
first time since the rankings were introduced three decades ago.
Power, who first became world No1 in May 1999, reclaimed the top
spot in January, ending the year-long 'reign' of Frenchman
Thierry Lincou. However, it was David Palmer who headed
the list in February, but the Australian was unable to stop the
31-year-old from Montreal regaining the position this month.
Boosted by final appearances in both the Canadian Classic and Windy
City Open in January, Power is now celebrating his 14th month as
world number one – equalling the total achieved to date by Thierry
Lincou.
While Palmer slips to two, and Egypt's World Open champion Amr
Shabana holds onto third position, Lincou rises to No4 after
winning last week's ISS Canary Wharf Classic in London, the 15th PSA
Tour title of the 29-year-old's career.
James Willstrop rises to No5, retaining his status as the
top-ranked Englishman in the list, ahead of Australian Anthony
Ricketts at six, and England's Peter Nicol at seven.
A punishing schedule in the first two months of the year has ended a
three-month exile out of the top twenty for England's Adrian
Grant, who jumps five places to No16. The 25-year-old
London-born left-hander celebrated his 15th PSA final appearance in
January's Virginia Pro Championship in the USA.
Lower in the world list, Canada's Shahier Razik celebrates a
career-high No23 ranking after winning the Manitoba Open last month,
and Egypt's Ramy Ashour becomes the only teenager in the
world's top 30 after rising to a career-best 27 following a final
berth – as qualifier – in the Dayton Open in January.
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February 2006:
Palmer Reclaims
World No1 Ranking
Australia's David Palmer has
reclaimed the world number one ranking more than four years after
last topping the list, according to the new February Dunlop PSA
Men's World Rankings.
 The
sensational return by the 29-year-old from Lithgow in New South
Wales comes just a month after Canada's Jonathon Power topped
the list in January - four and a half years after last being world
No1!
Palmer, who first established a four-month reign as world number one
from September to December 2001, has enjoyed a highly successful
past twelve months – which he crowned last month by winning the
Windy City Open in the USA, where he beat Power in a dramatic
five-game final in Chicago.
Showing impressive consistency in 2005, Palmer reached five PSA Tour
finals - including the Pakistan Open, US Open, Qatar Classic and
World Open - and triumphed in the Kuwait Open in March.
Power slips to two in the new list, ahead of Egypt's world champion
Amr Shabana at three and Australian Anthony Ricketts
at four.
While Finland's Olli Tuominen moves up one place to celebrate a
career-high No 13 ranking, Egypt's Mohammed Abbas returns to
the top twenty at 20. In three appearances in PSA Tour events in
January, the 25-year-old from Cairo reached the quarter-finals of
the Canadian Classic and the semi-finals of the Dayton Open in Ohio.
Following his sensational success in the Dayton Open where he upset
three seeds to reach the final as a qualifier, Egypt's world junior
champion Ramy Ashour records a career-high No30 ranking in
the new list – taking the 18-year-old ahead of his older brother
Hisham Mohd Ashour for the first time! |
January 2006:
All Change
at the Top
As widely previewed,
Canada's Jonathon Power has regained the world number one
position, over four years since he last held the top spot, the
longest-ever gap between tenures.
 A
tremendous 2005 for Power which saw him capture the
Apawamis, Bermuda
Masters and Motor City titles
culminated with the 'winner-take-all' clash with Anthony Ricketts
in the final of the Saudi
International.
Ricketts, along with fellow Australian David Palmer, are two
of only three players in the top twenty to hold their positions, at
numbers three and four, in one of the biggest shake-ups for many a
season.
World Champion Amr Shabana leapfrogs the Australian duo to
claim his highest ever ranking of number two, and Thierry Lincou,
who held the top spot for the whole of 2005, drops to number five,
followed by the English quartet of James Willstrop, Peter
Nicol, Lee Beachill and Nick Matthew, and
Scotland's John White completing a new top ten which contains no
less than six former number ones.
As well as comprehensively shuffling the pack, the trio of major
tournaments at the end of 2005 has also resulted in a narrowing of
the gaps, with just 220 points separating the top seven, so next few
months are likely to see yet more changes ...
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01-Dec:
A Year for Thierry,
James in Second Heaven
 James
Willstrop's Qatar Classic
victory has catapulted him from number eight to number two in the
new World Rankings, making him the top English player for the first
time.
World junior champion in 2002, Willstrop broke into the top ten
for the first time in January this year at number five, but slipped
immediately to number eight, where he has been for the past eight
months. But allied to his British Open final appearance, the Doha
title has helped create one of the biggest jumps within the top ten
on record.
 France's
Thierry Lincou completes a full year in the top position,
with Australians Anthony Ricketts and David Palmer at
three and four, and Lee Beachill, Willstrop's Pontefract
stablemate, at number five, while Jonathon Power drops from
number two to number six.
Two players returning to the top twenty are Alex Gough, the
Welshman's fine recent form has taken him from 26 to 17, and
Stewart Boswell, after almost two years out and another year
climbing back through satellite, and smaller events and becoming
'the qualifier no-one' wants in most recent major events, finally
returns to the upper echelons at number twenty. |
01-Nov:
Ricketts Rockets to Three
 Thanks
to his victory in the Dunlop British Open last month, and a final
appearance in St Louis, Australia's Anthony Ricketts has
rocketed to number three in the latest Dunlop PSA world rankings.
France's Thierry Lincou maintains his position at the
top, increasing his points lead over Jonathon Power, and is closing
in on a full year at the number one position - although with major
tournaments coming up in Qatar, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, the
ranking could see some significant movement in the next few weeks.
Despite missing the British Open - where he was a finalist in 2004 -
Egypt's Amr Shabana rises to number four on the back of
consecutive victories in the St Louis, Heliopolis and Hungarian
Opens.
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01-Oct:
Lincou Top – But Power
Back In Second Place ...
 Whilst
France's Thierry Lincou maintains his grip on the top
position in the new October Dunlop PSA Men's World Rankings,
Canada's Jonathon Power reclaims second place in the list for
the first time since March 2003.
The 31-year-old from Montreal his enjoyed one of his best years on
the PSA Tour in 2005 – winning the Apawamis Open in the USA in
January, the PSA Masters in Bermuda in April, and the Super Series
Finals in London for the second time in May.
 After
reaching the semi-finals of the St Louis Open in the USA last month,
Power will be back in action in the Dunlop British Open later this
month in Manchester, where the 1999 champion is the fourth seed in
his ninth appearance in the event.
Australia's David Palmer stays at three in the October list,
while England's Lee Beachill slips to four.
Title wins by Amr Shabana in the Heliopolis Open and St Louis
Open in September take the Egyptian up to a career-equalling-high
fifth place – ahead of England's Peter Nicol who drops to six.
Malaysia's Azlan Iskandar records a career-best world No13
ranking in the new list after following his Steel Industries PNG
International title in Papua New Guinea in August with success in
last month's Kolkata International in India.
Finland's Olli Tuominen also celebrates a best-ever ranking
in the October list – rising two places to 15. The 26-year-old from
Helsinki has consistently achieved or exceeded his seeding in PSA
Tour events for the past year – and reached the quarter-finals of
the Mamut English Open in August after upsetting David Palmer in the
opening round, and was a semi-finalist in last month's Heliopolis
Open.
England's Peter Barker, a surprise quarter-finalist in both
the English and Heliopolis Opens, moves up to career-best world
No21. |
01-Sep:
Grant reaps CAS reward
 The
biggest mover in the top twenty for September is England's Adrian
Grant, who jumps five places to 15 thanks to victory in the
CAS International in Pakistan.
There is only one change in the top ten however, with John White
swapping places with Gregory Gaultier to move back into the
top ten. At the top for the tenth consecutive month, Thierry Lincou further extended his lead
at the top to 351 points as second-placed Lee Beachill lost ground
with a surprise quarter-final defeat in the
English Open.
August tournament wins earn career-best positions for Azlan
Iskandar (PNG International) at 15,
Peter Barker at 23 (Sao Paulo &
Colombia), Cameron Pilley (South
Australia) at 29 and Joey Barrington (Brazil)
at number 30.
The biggest rise is earned by France's Matthieu Castagnet,
rising 75 places to number 175. Castagnet benefits from a trip to
South America to play in a series of PSA events, along with other
French youngsters Fabien Verseille and Yann Perrin,
who rise 35 and 30 places respectively. |
02-Aug:
Lincou consolidates at the top
 Thierry
Lincou's victory in the Pakistan Open in Karachi has
consolidated his position at number one in the August PSA rankings,
increasing his points gap over Lee Beachill from 167 to 304 points.
In a generally quiet month, the top twenty remains largely
unchanged, although Anthony Ricketts moves up to six,
equalling his best-ever position, and Azlan Iskandar reaches
a career-high 16th place, overtaking Malaysian compatriot Ong Beng
Hee in the process.
Lower down the rankings good performances in July produced rewards
for South Australia Champion Laurence Delasaux (up 39 places
to 126), HK Crocodile Champion Dylan Bennett (up 13 to 81)
and Houston Champion Shawn De Lierre (up 20 to 71).
The biggest rise, however, was by Egypt's Omar Mossad, whose
run to to semi-final of the Sau Paulo Open saw him rise a staggering
71 positions to number 150. |
30-Jun:
Lincou Moves Into Second Half Of Year As World Number One
 France's
Thierry Lincou moves into the second half of the year as
number one in the new July Dunlop PSA Men's World Squash Rankings.
Lincou, 29, who has held the position unopposed since January, heads
an unchanged top ten list, in front of England's Lee Beachill at
two; Australian David Palmer at three; and Canada's Jonathon Power
at number four. England's Peter Nicol is at five, the ranking he
first attained in November 1994 and has only dropped below once
since that date!
Lower in the list, Pakistan's Shahid Zaman leaps three places
to a career-high 14 - boosted by his third PSA Tour win of the year
last month when he lifted the Pakistan Circuit No2 title in Lahore.
Malaysia's Mohd Azlan Iskandar, runner-up in Lahore, returns to his
career-best No17 position. |
03-May-05:
Power back in top four
While the May PSA rankings don't feature any massive jumps,
there are several significant movements at the top end of the world
order.
 France's
Thierry Lincou retains top spot for the fifth month, but
former number one Lee Beachill reclaims the second place he
lost to Australia's David Palmer last month.
On the eve of the Canadian Nationals,
Jonathon Power will be boosted by a return to the top four,
thanks to his victory in the Bermuda Masters.
Power's rise is at the expense of his arch-rival Peter
Nicol, who drops to number five, the lowest position for many a
season for the man who dominated the top position for six years.
Power and Nicol will renew their rivalry in London next week as they
compete in the Super Series Finals.
It's a welcome return to the top ten for John White, while
Finland's Olli Tuominen gets back into the top twenty, coming
in at number eighteen.
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01-Mar-05:
New York Reward for Ricketts
France's Thierry Lincou has
extended his lead at the top of the new March Dunlop PSA Men's World
Squash Rankings, but last week's shock Bear Stearns Tournament of
Champions winner Anthony Ricketts has leapt five places to
recapture the career-best No6 world ranking he first achieved in
October 2003.
Lincou was seeded to reach his 25th PSA Tour final at Grand Central
terminal in New York, but Australian Ricketts, the tenth seed, had
to battle past the fifth, third and ninth seeds before triumphing
over the top-seeded Frenchman in a dramatic, 89-minute, five-game
climax to the first PSA Super Series event of the year.
The triumph marked the successful end to a six-month fight-back by
the 25-year-old from Sydney who withdrew from the Tour last January
to undergo surgery on his right knee.
Lincou leads an unchanged top four, with England's Lee Beachill at
two, Australia's David Palmer - a semi-finalist in New York - at
three, and Englishman Peter Nicol at four.
Egypt's Amr Shabana is rediscovering the form which led his surprise
success in the World Open in 2003 - and is rewarded with a return to
his career-best world No5. The left-hander, who only reached one PSA
Tour final in the year after his world title triumph, has already
made two finals this year - in the Windy City and Dayton Opens in
the USA - and followed this by upsetting world No2 Lee Beachill to
reach the last four of the Tournament of Champions. |
04-Jan-05:
Lincou back on top of the world
Just over a year after he first attained the top spot in the
world rankings, France's Thierry Lincou is back at the top
and starts 2005 as one of only a handful of players who have been
world champion and world number one at the same time.
COCORICO! Framboise reports ...
Last year it was consistency that earned Lincou the top ranking, but
with no major titles to his name some felt the Frenchman perhaps
didn't deserve to be there. Five tournament wins in the last eight
months, including the Super Series Finals, Hong Kong and Canadian
Opens and the World Championships mean that there can be no doubting
this time.
Lincou succeeds Lee Beachill, who held the position for three
months, but there is some compensation for Beachill's Pontefract
supporters with James Willstrop leaping from 13 to number
five following a strong showing in the World Open and victory in the
Pakistan Open.
The top twenty shows more changes than for many months, with
Jonathon Power enjoying a rise from nine to six, and John
White, number one just a few months ago, dropping from six to
twelve. White will be hoping that his move to the USA will halt his
decline.
Canada's Graham Ryding's run to the semi-finals of the World
Open is rewarded with a rise from 19 to 13, and Azlan Iskandar's
home victory in the last event of the year, the Malaysian Open in
Kuala Lumpur, sees him break into the top twenty for the first time.
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02-Oct-04:
Beach at the Summit
 As
expected, England's Lee Beachill has claimed the coveted world
number one position, following his sensational early-season performances
in the English, Hong Kong and US Opens to add to his Bermuda and Qatar
victories earlier in the year.
Yorkshireman Beachill, arguably the first 'true' Englishman to become
number one, takes over from Peter Nicol who drops to number three behind
Frenchman Thierry Lincou.
Beachill's coach Malcolm Willstrop was understandably delighted.
"I'm very happy for Lee," hsaid Willstrop. "He's
had his problems but battled on and has shown plenty of fortitude. Lots of
people knew he had the ability to get to number one, but actually getting
there is a different matter.
"I always saw him as a late developer, and it was this Summer when I
looked at him and realised that he was physically complete, and his
performances this season have demonstrated that. It's a reward for
persistence and perseverance, and I'm delighted for him."
Beachill, speaking from Birmingham where he was
playing an exhibition match with former number one David Palmer, was
equally happy.
"You work all your life to achieve something, so when you actually get
there it feels very special. Obviously I now want to stay there, but
there's a bunch of former number ones just behind me who want it back, and
another group of youngsters who want to get there too, so it's not going
to be easy."
 Although
Beachill's match against Nicol in the US Open final was known to be a
decider for the number one position, Lee himself wasn't thinking about
that.
"I knew when Thierry lost in the first round that there might be an
opportunity," he said, "but I didn't want to be involved in any of that, I
just wanted to concentrate on winning the tournament.
"But I made the mistake of looking on the internet on the day of the final
to see it was being billed as the winner becoming number one, so that put
a bit more pressure on me!".
Malcolm can see the 26-year-old Beachill being at the top for a while yet.
"He's young enough to have four or five years at the peak," he said. "The
true test is not getting there, but staying there, so it's one challenge
met and another one just starting for Lee."
It's a challenge Lee relishes. "When you're number one everyone wants to
beat you," he said. "So I'll just have to make sure I keep ahead of them."
Other English players enjoy career-best positions in the October rankings,
with Nick Matthew moving into the top five, and Adrian Grant
slotting in at 13, just behind James Willstrop.
Steve Cubbins |
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