WORLD SQUASH NEWS

Nicol Checks White Advance

Despite claiming his second successive PSA Tour victory in the inaugural Prince English Open earlier this month, Scotland's John White has failed to dislodge England's Peter Nicol from the No1 position in the new September Dunlop PSA Men's World Rankings, announced today (29 August) by the Professional Squash Association (PSA).

World No3 White has narrowed the gap, however, behind Australia's world No2 David Palmer, who reached the semi-finals in Sheffield in his first PSA Tour event since appendix surgery in March.  Meanwhile Nicol, who launched the English Open as his first event as a promoter, then crashed out at the quarter-final stage, extends his unbroken reign at the top of the rankings to 21 months.

Canada's Jonathon Power, runner-up to White, remains at No4, ahead of Frenchman Thierry Lincou at five and Australia's Stewart Boswell at six.  Anthony Ricketts, whose Sheffield victory over Peter Nicol was his first in seven meetings over the past year, strengthens his hold on the No7 position.

Malaysia's Ong Beng Hee, also an English Open quarter-finalist, moves up one place to No8.

Success last week in the CAS International in Pakistan has taken France's Gregory Gaultier to a career-high 13 in the new list.  Gaultier, at 20 the youngest player in the world top twenty, already boasts six PSA Tour titles from nine final appearances.

Despite falling three places to 18 in the new rankings, England's Simon Parke reaches a notable milestone this month.  The 31-year-old Yorkshireman from Nottingham, who has overcome both testicular cancer and ankle surgery to reclaim his world top twenty status, celebrates the fifteenth anniversary of his first appearance in the PSA rankings in September 1988 - more than two years before any other player in the current top twenty!

1 [1] Peter Nicol ENG
2 [2] David Palmer AUS
3 [3] John White SCO
4 [4] Jonathon Power CAN
5 [5] Thierry Lincou FRA
6 [6] Stewart Boswell AUS
7 [7] Anthony Ricketts AUS
8 [9] Ong Beng Hee MAS
9 [8] Karim Darwish EGY
10 [10] Lee Beachill ENG
11 [11] Joseph Kneipp AUS
12 [12] Amr Shabana EGY
13 [17] Gregory Gaultier FRA
14 [13] Martin Heath SCO
15 [18] Mansoor Zaman PAK
16 [14] Mark Chaloner ENG
17 [16] Alex Gough WAL
18 [15] Simon Parke ENG
19 [19] Graham Ryding CAN
20 [20] Paul Price AUS