Massaro Makes Her Top Five Debut In August Rankings
by Elliot Selby
August 3, 2011 - After a quite month in June, the pace picked up on the tour this month. With the Australian tour concluding in Sydney and the top girls kick starting their season there were some big changes in the rankings and numerous players celebrating career highs.
Laura Massaro was rewarded for reaching the final of last week's CIMB Singapore Masters with a career high ranking of no.5. The 27 year old British Champion stunned the squash world when she came from two games down to beat world number one Nicol David in the semi finals for the second time this year.
Massaro's conqueror in the final Madeline Perry, returns to no.3, equalling her career high ranking.
After stunning Perry in the first round of the CIMB Malaysian Open, New Zealand's Joelle King records a new ranking high of no.13. The 22 year old has few points to defend in August and a good run at the Australian Open could see her close in on a place in the top ten.
Natalie Grinham makes her return to the top 15 for the first time in almost a year. The super mum on the tour reached her 34th career final earlier in the month at the WISPA des Pyramides in France, losing out to Camille Serme. Grinham will play in the Australian Open this year, the first time she has played the tournament since 2004.
There were notable career highs set outside the top twenty.
Heba El Torky last month made her top 30 debut at no.30. Now the twenty year old Egyptian, who was ranked out of the top 65 last year, has leaped one place to no.29.
Victoria Lust and Olivia Blatchford both move up one place apiece to no.34 and no.35.
After collecting her third title in a row earlier in the month at the Victorian Open, 22 year old Aussie Melody Francis has made her first appearance in the top 40, at no.40.
There were two more career bests just below Francis. Czech number one Lucie Fialova leaps seven places to no.41 and Swiss number one Gaby Huber hits no.42.
Three players who shared titles throughout the Australian circuit recorded career best rankings. South African Siyoli Waters made a jump of eleven places to no.52 after securing her first title at the Hitachi Queensland Open. 20 year old Canadian Samantha Cornett moved up to no.57 with her second title of the season at the Tasmanian Open. Another 20 year old, Kiwi Amanda Landers-Murphy rises to no.66 after winning her first title at last week's New South Wales Open.
Further career highs were achieved by: South Africa's Adel Weir rising to no.54, Korea's Ahn Eun Chan, up to no.69, Scottish number one Lisa Aitken at no.89 and Welsh junior Tesni Evans up one spot to no.92.
August sees action from around the globe with the Australian Open, the third World Series of the year next week, the upgraded BC Honda Sun and Surf Open this and further tournaments in New York and Nottingham.
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