WORLD SQUASH NEWS

John White Storms To World No1

Scotland's John White is confirmed as the world's number one squash player for the first time in his career according to the new March Dunlop PSA Men's World Squash Rankings, announced today (02 March) by the Professional Squash Association (PSA).

France's Thierry Lincou, who made his world No1 debut in January, slips to No2 while England's Peter Nicol, the former world No1 who beat White in last week's Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions final in New York, drops back to third place.

White, born and raised in Queensland, Australia, became a Scottish national in 1998 - but made his breakthrough when he moved to Nottingham in England in 2000.  The following year, seeded 16, he stormed through the Flanders Open field in Antwerp - beating favourite Peter Nicol for the first time - to pick up his first PSA Super Series title.

Since the beginning of 2003, the 30-year-old has reached five PSA Tour finals, collecting trophies in the PSA Masters in Qatar in May and the English Open in Sheffield last August.  After becoming the British national champion for the first time last month, the game's hardest hitter went on to reach his 21st PSA final at Grand Central Terminal last week to clinch his new world number one status.

"Becoming number one in the world is one of the major goals of anyone's career, so I am delighted to have achieved this," said White.

Egypt's Karim Darwish also has cause to celebrate this month.  The 22-year former world junior champion from Cairo moves up to a career-high No5 - leapfrogging compatriot and world champion Amr Shabana - after winning three PSA titles already this year.

The rapid rise of England's Nick Matthew continues this month with the 23-year-old from Sheffield in Yorkshire making his top ten debut at 10.  After making the final of January's Swedish Open against the seedings, Matthew went on to reach the quarter-finals of last month's Tournament of Champions in New York.

The unexpected victory by England's Adrian Grant in February's Chief of Army Staff International in Pakistan propels the 23-year-old Londoner into the top twenty for the first time at 17.

1 [3] John White SCO
2 [1] Thierry Lincou FRA
3 [2] Peter Nicol ENG
4 [4] Lee Beachill ENG
5 [8] Karim Darwish EGY
6 [5] Amr Shabana EGY
7 [7] Jonathon Power CAN
8 [6] David Palmer AUS
9 [9] Anthony Ricketts AUS
10 [12] Nick Matthew ENG
11 [10] Joseph Kneipp AUS
12 [11] Gregory Gaultier FRA
13 [13] James Willstrop ENG
14 [14] Ong Beng Hee MAS
15 [15] Omar Elborolossy EGY
16 [16] Graham Ryding CAN
17 [21] Adrian Grant ENG
18 [17] Mohammed Abbas EGY
19 [19] Paul Price AUS
20 [18] Mansoor Zaman PAK

For full list - see www.psa-squash.com/