Record Top 20 Spread In Latest WSA World Rankings by Howard Harding 5 February 2014 -
Today's publication of the February Women's Squash Association World
Rankings shows a record 13 nations represented in the top 20.
Malaysian Nicol David heads the list - extending to 91 months the longest ever unbroken reign as world number one.
The unchanged top five
sees England's Laura Massaro at two; Egyptian Raneem El Welily at No3;
England's British national champion Alison Waters at four; and New
Zealander Joelle King in fifth place.
In the only change in
the top ten, Dipika Pallikal consolidates her position as the
top-ranked Indian by moving up to a career-equalling-high No10. The
22-year-old from Chennai won two WSA World Tour titles in 2013.
But it is further
representation in the top 20 from Ireland, France, Hong Kong,
Netherlands, Australia, USA, Denmark and Guyana - after Nicolette
Fernandes celebrates a two-place leap to a career-high-equalling 19 -
that provides the most notable feature of the latest WSA list.
"This is a wonderful
indication of the spread of top women's squash talent around the world
- and gives us great optimism as we look to expand both the membership
and calendar of women's events," said newly-elected WSA President Kasey
Brown, the world No13 from Australia.
"It is also highly
encouraging to look further down the rankings and see our stars of the
future like Misaki Kobayashi, a career-high world No29 and already the
highest-ranked Japanese player of all-time; 21-year-old Welsh player
Tesni Evans at a best-ever No36; 23-year-old Samantha Cornett leading
the way for Canada just outside the top 30; and Czech players like
Lucie Fialova making great progress," added Brown.
February top 20 (inc. points average): 1 [1] Nicol David MAS 3,143 2 [2] Laura Massaro ENG 2,092 3 [3] Raneem El Welily EGY 1,672 4 [4] Alison Waters ENG 1,243 5 [5] Joelle King NZL 1,184 6 [6] Low Wee Wern MAS 820 7 [7] Madeline Perry IRL 817 8 [8] Camille Serme FRA 800 9 [9] Jenny Duncalf ENG 741 10 [12] Dipika Pallikal IND 627 11 [13] Annie Au HKG 623 12 [10] Natalie Grinham NED 574 13 [11] Kasey Brown AUS 567 14 [14] Omneya Abdel Kawy EGY 540 15 [15] Rachael Grinham AUS 501 16 [17] Sarah-Jane Perry ENG 499 17 [18] Amanda Sobhy USA 433 18 [19] Line Hansen DEN 361 19 [21] Nicolette Fernandes GUY 358 20 [20] Joshana Chinappa IND 347
