Malaysia's Nicol David maintains her stranglehold on top position in the Women's World Squash Rankings, moving into her 40th successive month as world number one in the November list published by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA).

The 26-year-old from Penang, winner of her fourth successive Cathay Pacific Gale Well Hong Kong Open title last month, leads a new top three - with US player Natalie Grainger moving back ahead of World Open runner-up Natalie Grinham, from the Netherlands, to reclaim second place.

While Grainger is currently sidelined with a foot injury, the illness which saw Grinham withdraw before the last sixteen of the Hong Kong Open saw her dip below the American.

Success in last month's inaugural Soho Square Championship in Egypt - the biggest of her career - failed to move England's Jenny Duncalf from sixth place.  However, the 26-year-old from Harrogate sits closer behind Australia's Rachael Grinham at four, and English compatriot Alison Waters at No5.

But Omneya Abdel Kawy, runner-up both to Nicol David in Hong Kong and Duncalf in Sharm El Sheikh, rises a single place to No7 - one position below the Egyptian's career-best ranking.

France's Camille Serme is the only player to record a career-high position in the top 20.  The 20-year-old from Creteil, near Paris, reached the Hong Kong Open quarter-finals as 14th seed and now leaps four places to No14.

Just outside the top 20, Australia's Donna Urquhart continues her rise to the top.  The only qualifier to reach the last 16 round in Hong Kong, Urquhart moves up two places to a best-ever No24.

November top 20 (inc. points average):

1    [1]    Nicol David    MAS    3181
2    [3]    Natalie Grainger    USA    1698
3    [2]    Natalie Grinham    NED    1597
4    [4]    Rachael Grinham    AUS    1433
5    [5]    Alison Waters    ENG    1246
6    [6]    Jenny Duncalf    ENG    1175
7    [8]    Omneya Abdel Kawy    EGY    1087
8    [9]    Laura Massaro    ENG    893
9    [7]    Madeline Perry    IRL    869
10    [10]    Shelley Kitchen    NZL    623
11    [11]    Kasey Brown    AUS    520
12    [12]    Vanessa Atkinson    NED    520
13    [13]    Isabelle Stoehr    FRA    491
14    [18]    Camille Serme    FRA    472
15    [16]    Samantha Teran    MEX    471
16    [15]    Annie Au    HKG    449
17    [17]    Rebecca Chiu    HKG    436
18    [14]    Jaclyn Hawkes    NZL    431
19    [19]    Tania Bailey    ENG    419
20    [20]    Raneem El Weleily    EGY    411

For the complete WISPA ranking list, see www.wispa.net