Serme Celebrates Top Ten Entry In New World Rankings

Camille Serme makes her top ten debut in the new May Women's World Squash Rankings, published today (Friday) by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA) - and become the joint highest-ranked French player of all-time.

Malaysia's Nicol David maintains her tight grip on top position in the list, extending her unbroken reign as world number one to 46 months after winning her 44th WISPA World Tour title - and her third in succession this year - at last month's Cayman Islands Open.

But Camille Serme is celebrating the latest milestone in her brief career to date.  Outside the top 30 a year ago, the 21-year-old from Creteil equals illustrious compatriot Isabelle Stoehr's career-best ranking of 10.

Voted the WISPA Most Improved Player of the Year last year and now the youngest player in the top ten, Serme already boasts five WISPA Tour titles - and in February reached her ninth final at the Creteil International Open at her home club in Paris.

England's Jenny Duncalf holds onto second place in the new list, while Australian Rachael Grinham moves up to fourth place, just behind her younger sister Natalie Grinham at No3.

Another rising Australian is Kasey Brown, the New York-based 24-year-old from New South Wales who moves to a career-high world No9.

And Mexican Samantha Teran takes a step closer to the top ten by moving up a single place to a best-ever 11th place.

Further Australian success is marked by Donna Urquhart, the 23-year-old left-hander from New South Wales who celebrates a career-best 19 ranking.

May top 20 (inc. points average):

1     [1]   Nicol David MAS   2997
2     [2]   Jenny Duncalf     ENG   1689
3     [3]   Natalie Grinham   NED   1534
4     [5]   Rachael Grinham   AUS   1487
5     [4]   Alison Waters     ENG   1354
6     [6]   Omneya Abdel Kawy EGY   1184
7     [7]   Madeline Perry    IRL   1010
8     [8]   Laura Massaro     ENG   853
9     [10]  Kasey Brown AUS   656
10    [11]  Camille Serme     FRA   644
11    [12]  Samantha Teran    MEX   580
12    [9]   Natalie Grainger  USA   575
13    [13]  Vanessa Atkinson  NED   522
14    [14]  Engy Kheirallah   EGY   502
15    [15]  Jaclyn Hawkes     NZL   478
16    [19]  Isabelle Stoehr   FRA   460
17    [16]  Raneem El Weleily EGY   452
18    [17]  Rebecca Chiu      HKG   429
19    [20]  Donna Urquhart    AUS   428
20    [18]  Annie Au    HKG   425

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

Ramy Romps Into Fifth Month As World Number One

Egypt's Ramy Ashour moves into his fifth month at the top of the Dunlop PSA Men's World Squash Rankings, according to the May list published today (Friday) by the Professional Squash Association.

The 22-year-old from Cairo, the youngest player in the world top ten, leads an unchanged top six - ahead of England's Nick Matthew at two; compatriots Amr Shabana and Karim Darwish at three and four, respectively; Englishman James Willstrop at No5; and Frenchman Gregory Gaultier in sixth place.

Londoner Peter Barker is the highest upward mover, leapfrogging France's Thierry Lincou to take over seventh place.

After becoming the first player in PSA history to win his maiden World Tour title at a 5-star event, Egyptian teenager Mohamed El Shorbagy celebrates a three-place rise to his highest ranking of 14.  The 19-year-old from Alexandria - the youngest player in the top 50 - clinched the Indian Challenger No7 in Chennai last month.

Another Egyptian has cause for celebration in the new list:  Omar Mosaad makes his debut in the top 20, at 20, after an exceptional 2010 campaign in which he has competed in three Tour events, and finished as runner-up in one (the Heliopolis Open last month in his home town Cairo) and claimed the trophies in the other two, the Racquet Club Invitational and KIG Open, both in the USA, in January.

May top 20 (inc. points average):

1     [1]   Ramy Ashour EGY   1155
2     [2]   Nick Matthew      ENG   1117
3     [3]   Amr Shabana EGY   968
4     [4]   Karim Darwish     EGY   733
5     [5]   James Willstrop   ENG   696
6     [6]   Gregory Gaultier  FRA   668
7     [8]   Peter Barker      ENG   490
8     [7]   Thierry Lincou    FRA   489
9     [9]   Daryl Selby ENG   412
10    [10]  David Palmer      AUS   404
11    [11]  Laurens Jan Anjema      NED   378
12    [12]  Wael El Hindi     EGY   342
13    [13]  Adrian Grant      ENG   336
14    [17]  Mohamed El Shorbagy     EGY   333
15    [14]  Alister Walker    ENG   331
16    [15]  Cameron Pilley    AUS   328
17    [18]  Stewart Boswell   AUS   310
18    [16]  Mohd Azlan Iskandar     MAS   297
19    [19]  Ong Beng Hee      MAS   266
20    [22]  Omar Mosaad EGY   255

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