David Marks Ninth Anniversary As World Number One by Howard Harding 1 January 2015 -
Less than two weeks after becoming World Champion for a record eighth
time, Malaysia's Nicol David celebrates the ninth anniversary of first
becoming world number one by topping the January 2015 Women's World
Squash Rankings published by the Women's Squash Association.
It was in January 2006 that David, aged 22, first headed the WSA list.
After slipping to No2 in April, the 31-year-old from Penang reclaimed
pole position in August 2006 - since when she has reigned supreme for a
record unbroken 102 months!
At the Wadi Degla Women's World Squash Championship last month in
Egypt, David saved four match-balls in the final of the 30th staging of
the premier WSA championship to reclaim the trophy and extend her
record to eight titles!
Her opponent was home favourite Raneem El Welily, the No.3 seed from
the Wadi Degla club in Cairo who reached the final against
expectations. The Alexandria-born 26-year-old is rewarded by moving up
to No.2 in the January rankings, returning to second place for the
first time since March 2013.
"The world open week was a crazy week - one that I will certainly never
forget," said El Welily on hearing the news of her new 2015 ranking.
"It was the first time for me to have this much support around me. A
week that I certainly enjoyed and learned so much from. So much about
myself as well.
"I'm thankful that I made it this far at the tournament of course.
Losing this way in the final stings - but I'm just thankful, always
thankful. I'm happy it puts me back at number two and I'm hoping this
won't be my best stop!
"I am looking forward to a new year, to the next tournaments that will
most certainly be challenging as always if not ever. But definitely
excited for 2015!"
England's Laura Massaro slips to three in the new list, with Egypt's
Nour El Sherbini at No.4, and Londoner Alison Waters - who denied
Massaro, the defending champion, a third successive appearance in the
final after a shock quarter-final upset in Cairo - in fifth place.
Rising Egyptian Nouran Gohar celebrates a career-high No.17 ranking.
The 17-year-old from Cairo - the youngest player in the world top 20 -
toppled fourth seed El Sherbini in the opening round of the World
Championship in her home city, just a month after winning the WSA
Silver 25 Monte Carlo Classic from the position of eighth seed!
There are further Egyptian highlights lower in the new ranking list -
led by 15-year-old Habiba Mohamed who becomes the youngest player in
the top 30 after leaping from 66 in January 2014 to a career-best
No.23. Nadine Shahin, a 17-year-old from Cairo, rises to a career-high
No.40, while Alexandrian Nouran El Torky moves up to a best-ever No.41.
January 2015 top 20 (inc. points average):
1 [1] Nicol David MAS 3,681
2 [3] Raneem El Welily EGY 2,139
3 [2] Laura Massaro ENG 2,137
4 [4] Nour El Sherbini EGY 1,403
5 [5] Alison Waters ENG 1,336
6 [6] Camille Serme FRA 1,166
7 [7] Low Wee Wern MAS 1,132
8 [8] Nour El Tayeb EGY 1,098
9 [10] Omneya Abdel Kawy EGY 923
10 [9] Annie Au HKG 778
11 [11] Amanda Sobhy USA 774
12 [12] Joelle King NZL 712
13 [13] Rachael Grinham AUS 649
14 [16] Dipika Pallikal IND 622
15 [14] Madeline Perry IRL 614
16 [17] Sarah-Jane Perry ENG 588
17 [19] Nouran Gohar EGY 559
18 [18] Emma Beddoes ENG 550
19 [15] Jenny Duncalf ENG 549
20 [20] Sarah Kippax ENG 520
