SquashTalk >Rankings section > WISPA Apr 1, 2005 Rankings

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Rachael Grinham Hangs on to Number One With a Thread

London, Apr 1, 2004 by Ron Beck © 2005, photos © Debra Tessier and SquashTalk © 2004

Vanessa Atkinson ... still #2 on the WISPA computer ... © 2005 Debra Tessier

Australia's Rachael Grinham moves into her ninth successive month as world number one in the April Women's World Squash Rankings, announced today (31 March) by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA).

The Cairo-based 28-year-old from Toowoomba was knocked out at the semi-final stage of the Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open earlier this month - but so was her great rival Vanessa Atkinson, the world champion from the Netherlands, who has narrowed the gap behind the Queenslander at No2. Total actual ranking points are 2053.8 for Grinham versus 1966.1 for Atkinson, an exceedingly slim margin.

Rachael's younger sister Natalie Grinham remains at three in the new list, just ahead of Malaysia's former world junior champion Nicol David, who claimed her best WISPA World Tour success to date by winning the Kuwait Open after beating Grinham senior in the semi-finals.

The USA's Natalie Grainger is the only player to move upwards in the top ten - replacing England's Linda Elriani at number five. Grainger, 27, from Washington, enjoyed a good run in the Kuwait Open, upsetting both third seed Natalie Grinham and second seed Vanessa Atkinson en-route to reaching the final.

Lower in the list, England's Laura-Jane Lengthorn makes her top twenty debut, at 19. The 21-year-old from Lancashire was a qualifier in the Kuwait Open, but made it through to the last eight to celebrate her first quarter-final appearance in a WISPA Grand Prix event.

1 [1] Rachael Grinham AUS
2 [2] Vanessa Atkinson NED
3 [3] Natalie Grinham AUS
4 [4] Nicol David MAS
5 [6] Natalie Grainger USA
6 [5] Linda Elriani ENG
7 [7] Vicky Botwright ENG
8 [8] Jenny Tranfield ENG
9 [9] Omneya Abdel Kawy EGY
10 [10] Jenny Duncalf ENG
11 [11] Shelley Kitchen NZL
12 [12] Madeline Perry IRL
13 [13] Fiona Geaves ENG
14 [15] Tania Bailey ENG
15 [14] Annelize Naude NED
16 [17] Isabelle Stoehr FRA
17 [16] Rebecca Chiu HKG
18 [18] Pamela Nimmo SCO
19 [21] Laura-Jane Lengthorn ENG
20 [20] Alison Waters ENG

OTHER AMERICAS PLAYERS IN TOP 100 AS OF APRIL 1 2005:

23 [23] Latasha Khan USA
33 [31] Runa Reta CAN
37 [36] Samantha Teran MEX
39 [41] Katie Patrick CAN
40 [37] Alana Miller CAN
48 [43] Melaine Jans Burke CAN
50 [47] Marnie Baizley CAN
53 [53] Tara Mullins CAN
55 [58] Lily Lorentzen USA
58 [55] Meredith Quick USA
59 [66] Shabana Khan USA
64 [60] Louisa Hall USA
67 [73] Nicolette Fernandes GUY
87 [85] Ashley Clackson CAN
100 [93] Carlin Wing USA
101 [101] Britt Hebden USA
109 [108] Ivy Pochoda USA
111 [103] Michelle Quibell USA

[complete rankings for February '05]