Natalie Overtakes Sister Rachael In New World Rankings 

While Vanessa Atkinson holds onto her position at the top of the new June Women’s World Squash Rankings, issued by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA), a rise to third place by Australia's Natalie Grinham takes the 28-year-old from Queensland narrowly ahead of her older sister Rachael Grinham for the first time in her career! 

Natalie Grinham, who has only beaten her former world number one-ranked sister once in a ranking event, has enjoyed a highly successful 2006 – including marriage to Dutch squash international Tommy Berden followed by a record three gold medal tally at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.  Though her singles gold came at the expense of a rare victory over Rachael in the final, this triumph did not influence the latest WISPA rankings. 

It is the younger Grinham's consistency on the WISPA World Tour over the past eight months that has seen Natalie's status rise – including semi-final berths in six successive events including final appearances in the British Open and Carol Weymuller Open last October and title success in the US Open in November. 

Atkinson, the 30-year-old from the Netherlands, celebrates her third successive month as world number one, ahead – by a narrow margin - of Malaysia's World Open champion Nicol David at No2. 

In a relatively unchanged top twenty list, Egypt's Engy Kheirallah moves up one place to a career-high world No16.  The 24-year-old from Alexandria has won three WISPA titles over the past year, including the Atlanta Masters and Salt Lake City Open in the USA and the Alexandria Sporting Club Open at her home club.

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