WISPA Rankings

 

SEARCH

HOME
Archive
Calendar
Tournaments
Kaleidoscope
Forum
Players
Interviews
Coaching
Links
Useful Info
Clubs
Photos
Shorts
In the Papers
Contact
UK
FRANCE
USA
SEARCH

BSPA
PREMIER LEAGUE
Squash on TV

 


April 2008:

David extends
World Ranking lead


Malaysia's Nicol David has maintained her lead at the top of the April Women's World Squash Rankings. Victory in last month's CIMB KL Open on home soil - where David notched up her 40th Tour final appearance - takes the 24-year-old from Penang into her 21st successive month at the top of the WISPA list.

Natalie Grinham, who celebrated her maiden Tour appearance as a Dutch player in the KL Open, holds onto second place for the 15th month in a row after finishing as runner-up in Kuala Lumpur.

Natalie's sister Rachael Grinham, from Australia, remains at three, while American Natalie Grainger is at No4, and England's Tania Bailey at No5.

Jenny Duncalf, runner-up in last December's Carol Weymuller Open in New York, is the highest riser - moving two places to a career-high equalling No6 to become the second-placed English player in the list.

Hong Kong's Rebecca Chiu, who beat Duncalf in the KL Open, also rises to a former career-best No13.

But two players celebrate best-ever positions in the April rankings: New Zealand's Jaclyn Hawkes consolidates her position in the top 20 by moving up a single place to No17 - boosted by title success in last month's NSC Tour 12 No1 in Malaysia.

After becoming the first Mexican to make the world top 20 in February, Samantha Teran now moves up to 19 after clinching her second WISPA World Tour title of the year last month at the Windy City Open in Chicago.

Sharon Wee returns to the top 20 for the first time this year - doubling the Malaysian content of the elite group by returning to No20.
    
TOP TWENTY WISPA APR 2008
Rank Prev Player Pts Ctry
1 [1] Nicol David   3154 Mas
2 [2] Natalie Grinham    2305 Aus
3 [3] Rachael Grinham   1816 Aus
4 [4] Natalie Grainger   1547 Usa
5 [5] Tania Bailey  1230 Eng
6é [8] Jenny Duncalf 880 Eng
7 [7] Shelley Kitchen  872 Nzl
8ê [6] Vicky Botwright 870 Eng
9 [9] Omneya Abdel Kawy  859 Egy
10 [10] Vanessa Atkinson   815 Ned
11 [11] Alison Waters   763 Eng
12 [12] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro   701 Eng
13é [14] Rebecca Chiu   619 Hkg
14ê [13] Madeline Perry   599 Irl
15 [15] Kasey Brown 597 Aus
16 [16] Engy Kheirallah  485 Egy
17é [18] Jaclyn Hawkes   472 Nzl
18ê [17] Annelize Naude   444 Ned
19é [20] Samantha Teran   416 Mex
20é [22] Sharon Wee 414 Mas
FULL WISPA RANKINGS

Feb 2008:
Teran makes Top 20

 

In a breakthrough new Women's World Squash Rankings for February, the number of countries represented by players in the top 20 rises to an all-time high of 11.

 

While Nicol David, of Malaysia, retains the number one position - extending her unbroken reign at the top to 19 months - Samantha Teran makes her debut in the top 20 to become the first ever Mexican to feature in the elite women's list. 

 

The 26-year-old from Mexico City, a three times Pan American champion, has made significant strides  over recent months - winning the Southport Open and Toronto Open in North America last year, and striking success in the Liberty Bell Open last month in Philadelphia, USA, to bring her Tour haul to eight titles.

 

The countries represented in the world top 20 now feature Malaysia, Australia, USA, England, New Zealand, Egypt, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Ireland, France and Mexico.

 

"It's wonderful to welcome Samantha - and Mexico - into our world top 20 for the first time and see the growing impact of women's squash around the world," said WISPA Chief Executive Andrew Shelley.  "With new women's events recently in new squash nations such as Iceland, Portugal, Iran, China and South Korea, we will soon be looking forward to extending even further our reach of top 20 players from our ever-increasing international membership."

 

New Zealander Shelley Kitchen also has much to celebrate in the new list - after jumping three places to a career-best No7 ranking.  After winning four WISPA Tour titles last year, the 28-year-old from Auckland got her 2008 campaign off to a positive start by claiming the Greenwich Open crown in January - the biggest Tour title of Kitchen's 12 to date.

TOP TWENTY WISPA JAN 2008
Rank Prev Player Pts Ctry
1 [1] Nicol David   3057 Mas
2 [2] Natalie Grinham    2256 Aus
3 [3] Rachael Grinham   1879 Aus
4 [4] Natalie Grainger   1528 Usa
5 [5] Tania Bailey  1261 Eng
6 [6] Vicky Botwright 905 Eng
7é [10] Shelley Kitchen  900 Nzl
8ê [7] Jenny Duncalf 889 Eng
9ê [8] Omneya Abdel Kawy  808 Egy
10ê [9] Vanessa Atkinson   795 Ned
11é [12] Alison Waters   700 Eng
12ê [11] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro   650 Eng
13é [14] Rebecca Chiu   597 Hkg
14ê [13] Madeline Perry   594 Irl
15 [15] Kasey Brown 557 Aus
16 [16] Engy Kheirallah  497 Egy
17é [19] Annelize Naude   444 Ned
18 [18] Jaclyn Hawkes   425 Nzl
19ê [17] Isabelle Stoehr 424 Fra
20é [22] Samantha Teran   404 Mex
FULL WISPA RANKINGS
 
Jan 2008:
David starts third
year at the top


Nicol David begins her third year as world number one, according to the January Women's World Squash Rankings.

 

The 24-year-old Malaysian first topped the list in January 2006 - and now moves into her 18th successive month as No1.  David enjoyed the best year of her career in 2007, winning eight WISPA titles from ten final appearances, despite the World Open eluding her grasp.

 

Recognised within the sport as the WISPA Player of the Year last month for the third year in a row, Nicol David achieved perhaps her most notable accolade at the end of 2007 when voted Asian  Sportswoman of the Year in the inaugural awards launched by the Asian Sports Press Union.

 

Australia's Grinham sisters are behind David - Netherlands-based Natalie Grinham at two, and the 2007 British Open and World Open champion Rachael Grinham, based in Cairo, in third place.

 

Natalie Grinham finished the year on a high - avenging her defeat by Rachael in October's Madrid World Open final to beat her older sibling in the climax of the Monte Carlo Classic in Monaco in December.

 

It was the 29-year-old Queenslander's first WISPA Tour title success since capturing the $50,000 Seoul Open crown in South Korea in April.

 

"After winning in Seoul, I hurt my foot, and then later on my wrist," said Grinham junior after her Classic triumph. "I am still having treatment for that and getting a little pain.  But though I am not quite 100%, I am well on the way."

 

Natalie Grainger holds onto fourth position in the New Year list as she celebrates the beginning of her tenth year in the world top ten.  The 30-year-old made her top ten debut in January 1999 as a South African, converting to English allegiance later in the year. 

But this year, Washington DC-based Grainger cemented her status as a US citizen by winning the US National title, the Pan American Games gold medal, as well as five WISPA titles on her new 'home' soil.

 

English players occupy the next three positions - with Lincolnshire's Tania Bailey at No5; Manchester's Vicky Botwright at No6; and Yorkshire's Jenny Duncalf at No7.  Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy rises one place to No8.  There is English movement just outside the top ten where Laura Lengthorn-Massaro overtakes fellow countrywoman Alison Waters to move into 11th place.

 

Holding her place at No16 in the new list is Engy Kheirallah, the 26-year-old Egyptian who married compatriot Karim Darwish, the world No8, last month.

 

Dutch interest in the world top 20 is doubled by the return of Annelize Naude. The 31-year-old from Amsterdam rises two places to 19.
 

TOP TWENTY WISPA JAN 2008
Rank Prev Player Pts Ctry
1 [1] Nicol David   3057 Mas
2 [2] Natalie Grinham    2425 Aus
3 [3] Rachael Grinham   1874 Aus
4 [4] Natalie Grainger   1572 Usa
5 [5] Tania Bailey  1231 Eng
6 [6] Vicky Botwright 1008 Eng
7 [7] Jenny Duncalf 877 Eng
8é [9] Omneya Abdel Kawy  817 Egy
9ê [8] Vanessa Atkinson   831 Ned
10 [10] Shelley Kitchen  742 Nzl
11é [12] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro   612 Eng
12ê [11] Alison Waters   688 Eng
13 [13] Madeline Perry   608 Irl
14 [14] Rebecca Chiu   592 Hkg
15 [15] Kasey Brown 565 Aus
16 [16] Engy Kheirallah  517 Egy
17 [17] Isabelle Stoehr 444 Fra
18 [18] Jaclyn Hawkes   423 Nzl
19é [21] Annelize Naude   413 Ned
20ê [19] Dominique Lloyd-Walter   415 Eng
FULL WISPA RANKINGS

Nov 2007:
World Champion Grinham Still Behind David

Despite losing her title in last week's World Open in Madrid, Nicol David has extended her reign at the top of the Women's World Squash Rankings

With an average of 2,841 points, the 24-year-old Malaysian stays ahead of second-placed Australian Natalie Grinham, who has a rolling year average of 2,473 points. Yet, the new world champion Rachael Grinham - who beat Natalie in the first ever world final between two sisters - has been unable to rise from third place, where she has 1,919 points.

However, the three players - and the remaining top women in the world - are in WISPA Gold action this week in the Qatar Classic in Doha, and thereafter in the WISPA Platinum Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open later in the month. David will need to avoid stumbling to stay ahead of the Queenslanders and finish the year as world number one.

Natalie Grainger, a semi-finalist in Madrid, rises to No4 in the new list - the US champion's highest world ranking for more than two years.

Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy celebrates a career-high ranking of 6 in the latest list. The 22-year-old from Cairo - the youngest player in the top 20 - has maintained consistent form on the WISPA World Tour this year, achieving her seeded position in eight completed events since picking up her fourth Tour title at the Dayton Open in the USA in January.

New Zealand's Shelley Kitchen also achieves a best-ever ranking in November. The 27-year-old from Auckland, who stole the Madrid headlines last week when she ousted title-holder Nicol David in the second round, rises to No9.

Three WISPA final appearances - including title success in the Central Open in New Zealand in June - have taken Australian Kasey Brown to a career-high world No15 ranking in the new list.

There is further Kiwi joy in the new rankings with the reappearance in the top 20 of Jaclyn Hawkes at No19. The 24-year-old from Auckland was a surprise finalist in both the Dayton Open and Irish Open earlier this year.
 
TOP TWENTY WISPA NOV 2007
Rank Prev Player Pts Ctry
1 [1] Nicol David   2841 Mas
2 [2] Natalie Grinham    2473 Aus
3 [3] Rachael Grinham   1919 Aus
4é [5] Natalie Grainger   1253 Usa
5ê [4] Tania Bailey  1231 Eng
6é [7] Omneya Abdel Kawy  839 Egy
7ê [6] Vicky Botwright 820 Eng
8é [9] Vanessa Atkinson   733 Ned
9é [11] Shelley Kitchen  712 Nzl
10é [12] Jenny Duncalf 701 Eng
11ê [8] Madeline Perry   676 Irl
12ê [11] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro   657 Eng
13 [13] Rebecca Chiu   592 Hkg
14 [14] Alison Waters   572 Eng
15é [16] Kasey Brown 523 Aus
16ê [15] Engy Kheirallah  484 Egy
17é [20] Isabelle Stoehr 425 Fra
18é [19] Dominique Lloyd-Walter   388 Eng
19é [21] Jaclyn Hawkes   387 Nzl
20ê [18] Sharon Wee   383 Mas
FULL WISPA RANKINGS
 
August 2007:
David maintains
grip on top spot


Malaysia's Nicol David moves into her 16th month as world number one, according to the new August Women's World Squash Rankings.

Victory in last month's CIMB Malaysian Open on home soil has extended the 23-year-old from Penang's lead ahead of second-placed Australian Natalie Grinham, a surprise semi-final casualty in Kuala Lumpur.

David's KL triumph marked her 20th WISPA title - and her 14th successive Tour final since reaching her first World Open climax in Hong Kong in December 2005.

The world number one will join her WISPA colleagues in their ongoing pursuit of Tour silverware at the inaugural Singapore Masters.

Natalie Grinham's older sister Rachael Grinham is at three in the new list, ahead of England's Tania Bailey - runner-up in KL - at four, and USA's Natalie Grainger at number five.

New Zealand's Shelley Kitchen leaps three places to a career-high No10 in the new list. The 27-year-old from Auckland, winner of the bronze medal in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, clinched the titles in the two most recent WISPA Tour events in which she competed - the North Shore Open in her homeland in June and the Australian Open last month.

Compatriot Jaclyn Hawkes is also enjoying a best-ever ranking this month after moving to 19 following an impressive Tour run which included a surprise final berth in the Irish Open in April.


                        Kitchen & Hawkes

   

 
TOP TWENTY WISPA AUG 2007
Rank Prev Player Pts Ctry
1 [1] Nicol David   3048 Mas
2 [2] Natalie Grinham    2171 Aus
3 [3] Rachael Grinham   1367 Aus
4 [4] Tania Bailey  1277 Eng
5 [5] Natalie Grainger   1043 Usa
6 [6] Vicky Botwright 941 Eng
7 [7] Omneya Abdel Kawy  795 Egy
8 [8] Madeline Perry   667 Irl
9 [9] Vanessa Atkinson   662 Ned
10é [13] Shelley Kitchen  593 Nzl
11é [12] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro   580 Eng
12ê [10] Jenny Duncalf 571 Eng
13ê [11] Alison Waters   561 Eng
14 [14] Rebecca Chiu   524 Hkg
15 [15] Engy Kheirallah  504 Egy
16 [16] Kasey Brown 496 Aus
17 [17] Annelize Naude   387 Ned
18é [19] Sharon Wee   385 Mas
19é [20] Jaclyn Hawkes   376 Nzl
20ê [18] Isabelle Stoehr 366 Fra
FULL WISPA RANKINGS

April 2007:
KL success extends David's lead at the top ...

Roundup from Howard Harding
 

Victory in last month's CIMB Kuala Lumpur Open strengthens Malaysian Nicol David's grip on the world number one ranking, according to the new April World Squash Rankings.

 

David, the 23-year-old from Penang who is unbeaten now for more than a year, begins her ninth successive month at the top of the rankings - ahead of KL Open runner-up Natalie Grinham, from Australia, at two, and her sister Rachael Grinham, at three.

 

While England's Tania Bailey and Vicky Botwright are at four and five, respectively, in the new list, compatriot Alison Waters jumps two places to a career-high No9.

 

The 22-year-old from London has made steady progress since breaking into the world top 20 - and followed her success of reaching the semi-finals at December's Monte Carlo Classic by making it to the last four of the Greenwich Open early in the New Year.

 

Lower in the list, New Zealand's Jaclyn Hawkes celebrates a career-best 21 ranking after reaching the final of the Dayton Open in January and quarter-finals of the Burning River Cleveland Classic in the USA last month.