Nicol David Stretches World Number One Lead 

With almost twice the points average of her nearest rival, Nicol David has further stretched her lead at the top of the new December Women’s World Squash Rankings, published today (Friday) by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA). 

In a dramatic 95-minute final last week at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, the 23-year-old from Malaysia successfully defended her Women’s World Open Championship title to stretch her unbeaten record to 33 matches since March!  

After a year outside the top two, Australian Rachael Grinham reclaims the world No2 position from Vanessa Atkinson, pushing the former world champion from the Netherlands down to third place.  The older Grinham sister won the Carol Weymuller Open (incorporating the US Open) in October, then reached the semi-finals of both the Hong Kong Open and World Open. 

Younger sibling Natalie Grinham, the runner-up in Belfast, holds onto fourth place, while Tania Bailey becomes the highest-ranked English woman for the first time after moving up to No5. 

Ireland's Madeline Perry – the local star of the World Open, who successfully reached the quarter-finals – moves up to a career-best-equalling sixth position. 

Former world number one Natalie Grainger ends an eight-month absence from the top ten by leaping four places to No7.  The 29-year-old from the USA is fighting back after a two-year period fighting injury and illness – and achieved her best run in the World Open for more than four years when she reached the semi-finals in Belfast. 

Australia's Kasey Brown, the 21-year-old from Queensland who made the last sixteen at the Ulster Hall unseeded, makes her top 20 debut in the new list, at 17. 

Sharon Wee also celebrates a career-high ranking.  The 29-year-old from Malaysia, winner of two WISPA World Tour title since September (the Berkshire Open and Wah Cantt Open), moves up to 18.

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