Campion stays #1, Fitz-Gerald charges to 18, Nicol debuts at 50.

WORLD SQUASH NEWS. 3/01/2000. by WISPA

WISPA World Rankings, March 2000

WORLD CHAMPION CAMPION MAINTAINS WORLD No1 POSITION

World champion Cassie Campion maintains her hold on the world No1 ranking in the new March women's world rankings, announced today (1st March) by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA).

New Zealand's British Open champion Leilani Joyce retains the No2 position, ahead of England's Linda Charman and Natalie Grainger at 3 and 4, respectively, and Australia's Carol Owens at No5.

Australia's former three-times world champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald, who was out of action for much of last year recovering from surgery to her left knee, has charged back into the world top 20 at 18 after winning three successive WISPA World Tour events in January. The former world No1 from Melbourne won the Glidden Open and Greenwich Open in the USA - in both cases after qualifying - then clinched the Rosebowl Classic title in Thame, England.

Malaysia's Nicol David, the 16-year-old world junior champion who this week became the youngest ever winner of a WISPA World Tour event when she claimed the Savcor Finnish Open title as a qualifier, makes her debut in the world rankings at No50.

England's Fiona Geaves, who celebrated her 32nd birthday in December, moves up to a career-best-equalling No6 after reaching the final of the Marsh & McLennan Apawamis Open in January. Another English high-flyer is former world junior champion Tania Bailey, who rises to a best-ever world No12 ranking.

1 [1] Cassie Campion ENG
2 [2] Leilani Joyce NZL
3 [3] Linda Charman ENG
4 [4] Natalie Grainger ENG
5 [5] Carol Owens AUS
6 [8] Fiona Geaves ENG
7 [7] Sabine Schoene GER
8 [6] Suzanne Horner ENG
9 [9] Stephanie Brind ENG
10 [10] Claire Nitch RSA
11 [11] Vanessa Atkinson NED
12 [13] Tania Bailey ENG
13 [12] Rebecca Macree ENG
14 [14] Rachael Grinham AUS
15 [15] Jenny Tranfield ENG
16 [16] Tegwen Malik WAL
17 [17] Pamela Nimmo SCO
18 [38] Sarah Fitz-Gerald AUS
19 [19] Liz Irving AUS
20 [18] Latasha Khan USA

Issued on behalf of WISPA by Howard Harding

For further information: Howard Harding Email: HowHard@aol.com