Olympic Exiles Willstrop & Matthew Lead Latest Squash Rankings
by Howard Harding
1 August 2012 - While the world is currently focussed on elite sporting activity in London, Englishmen James Willstrop and Nick Matthew are again confirmed as the two top squash players on the international stage - drawing further attention to missed medal opportunities for the hosts of the 2012 Olympic Games.
But after failed bids for inclusion in both the 2012 and 2016 Games, Squash is now hoping for third time lucky as the sport rolls out its campaign to be added to the programme for the Olympic Games in 2020.
Willstrop and Matthew lead the Dunlop PSA Men's World Squash Rankings, retaining their positions at one and two, respectively, in the new August list published today by the Professional Squash Association.
Willstrop, 28, from Leeds in Yorkshire, moves into his seventh month at the top of the rankings - while fellow Yorkshireman Matthew, the 32-year-old from Sheffield who won his third British Open title in May, is one place away from the pole position he held throughout 2011.
"Mixed emotions this week," tweeted Matthew on the eve of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony. "Olympics will be a great spectacle & amazing for country & I'm right behind it.
"However can't help feeling that we should be in holding camp right now starting our own preparations to compete in the greatest show on earth."
Frenchman Gregory Gaultier is in third place in the August rankings - while Egyptians Ramy Ashour and Karim Darwish remain at four and five, respectively.
Malaysian Mohd Azlan Iskandar is one of only two players to move up in the top 20. The London-based 30-year-old rises two places to No14.
And German number one Simon Rosner overtakes top-ranked Australian Cameron Pilley to reach 19 in the new list. The 24-year-old from Paderborn is the second highest-ranked German of all time.
August 2012 top 20 (inc. points average):
1 [1] James Willstrop ENG 1,685
2 [2] Nick Matthew ENG 1,503
3 [3] Gregory Gaultier FRA 1,272
4 [4] Ramy Ashour EGY 1,123
5 [5] Karim Darwish EGY 961
6 [6] Peter Barker ENG 683
7 [7] Amr Shabana EGY 650
8 [8] Mohamed El Shorbagy EGY 633
9 [9] Laurens Jan Anjema NED 537
10 [10] Thierry Lincou FRA 445
11 [11] Daryl Selby ENG 432
12 [12] Omar Mosaad EGY 419
13 [13] Alister Walker BOT 373
14 [16] Mohd Azlan Iskandar MAS 368
15 [14] Hisham Mohd Ashour EGY 367
16 [15] Tom Richards ENG 365
17 [17] Adrian Grant ENG 346
18 [18] Borja Golan ESP 329
19 [20] Simon Rosner GER 322
20 [19] Cameron Pilley AUS 316
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