Grainger Returns To World Top Five
While Malaysian Nicol David retains her grip on the top of the new June Women's World Squash Rankings, published today (Friday) by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA), Natalie Grainger of the USA reclaims a place in the top five for the first time for more than 18 months.
Grainger has made a welcome return to form this year after a series of injury and illness layoffs. After becoming a US citizen in February, the 29-year-old former South African international won the Burning River Classic in Cleveland, then clinched her first US Nationals crown. Last month, the former world number one from Washington DC took the Texas Open title to secure the 13th WISPA World Tour title of her career.
Australia's Natalie Grinham remains at No2 in the new list, ahead of older sister Rachael Grinham at three, and England's Tania Bailey at four.
New Zealand's Jaclyn Hawkes celebrates her top twenty debut in the June rankings, rising a single place to No20. The 24-year-old from Auckland claimed two unexpected WISPA Tour final places this year, reaching the climax of the Dayton Open in the USA in January and the Irish Open in April. Last month, Hawkes was a semi-finalist in both the Texas Open and Subway Goshen Open in the USA>
1 [1] Nicol David MAS
2 [2] Natalie Grinham AUS
3 [3] Rachael Grinham AUS
4 [4] Tania Bailey ENG
5 [6] Natalie Grainger USA
6 [5] Vicky Botwright ENG
7 [7] Omneya Abdel Kawy EGY
8 [8] Madeline Perry IRL
9 [9] Vanessa Atkinson NED
10 [10] Jenny Duncalf ENG
11 [11] Alison Waters ENG
12 [12] Laura-Jane Lengthorn ENG
13 [13] Shelley Kitchen NZL
14 [15] Rebecca Chiu HKG
15 [14] Engy Kheirallah EGY
16 [16] Kasey Brown AUS
17 [18] Annelize Naude NED
18 [17] Isabelle Stoehr FRA
19 [19] Sharon Wee MAS
20 [21] Jaclyn Hawkes NZL