Victory in last month's CIMB Kuala Lumpur Open strengthens Malaysian Nicol David's grip on the world number one ranking, according to the new April Women's World Squash Rankings, published today (Tuesday) by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA). Victory in last month's CIMB Kuala Lumpur Open strengthens Malaysian Nicol David's grip on the world number one ranking, according to the new April Women's World Squash Rankings, published today (Tuesday) by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA).

David, the 23-year-old from Penang who is unbeaten now on the WISPA World Tour for more than a year, begins her ninth successive month at the top of the rankings - ahead of KL Open runner-up Natalie Grinham, from Australia, at two, and her sister Rachael Grinham, at three.

While England's Tania Bailey and Vicky Botwright are at four and five, respectively, in the new list, compatriot Alison Waters jumps two places to a career-high No9.

The 22-year-old from London has made steady progress since breaking into the world top 20 - and followed her success of reaching the semi-finals at December's Monte Carlo Classic by making it to the last four of the Greenwich Open early in the New Year.

Lower in the list, New Zealand's Jaclyn Hawkes celebrates a career-best 21 ranking after reaching the final of the Dayton Open in January and quarter-finals of the Burning River Cleveland Classic in the USA last month. 

Italian Manuela Manetta, who won the Creteil Open International in March to clinch her second WISPA World Tour title in three months, jumps five places to an all-time high No28.

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