Despite being out of action throughout the first month of the New Year, Egypt's Amr Shabana maintains his grip on the world number one ranking, according to the February Dunlop PSA Men's World Squash Rankings, published today (Monday) by the Professional Squash Association.

While the 28-year-old from Cairo has been recovering from acute tendonitis in his wrist, his compatriot Ramy Ashour picked up the first PSA Super Series title of the year - winning the Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions in New York to cement his place in second place in the list.  The pair are expected to meet head-to-head in the final of the Pace Canadian Classic later in the month in Toronto.

England's James Willstrop, runner-up in New York, also fails to move from sixth place - but is now less than a point behind compatriot Nick Matthew, the No5 behind third-placed Frenchman Gregory Gaultier and No4 David Palmer, from Australia.

Egypt's Wael El Hindi is the highest mover, returning to his career-high ninth place after reaching the Tournament of Champions' quarter-finals.

Englishman Lee Beachill, who makes his first PSA Tour appearance this year at the Case Swedish Open next week after undergoing hernia surgery early in the New Year, returns to the top ten - at 10 - for the first time for almost a year.

A three-place jump to 15 is achieved this month by Adrian Grant, the English left-hander who won the Comfort Inn Open in Vancouver last month.

 
    1    [1]    Amr Shabana    EGY
    2    [2]    Ramy Ashour    EGY
    3    [3]    Gregory Gaultier    FRA
    4    [4]    David Palmer    AUS
    5    [5]    Nick Matthew    ENG
    6    [6]    James Willstrop    ENG
    7    [7]    Thierry Lincou    FRA
    8    [8]    Karim Darwish    EGY
    9    [10]    Wael El Hindi    EGY
    10    [11]    Lee Beachill    ENG
    11    [9]    John White    SCO
    12    [12]    Peter Barker    ENG
    13    [14]    Mohammed Abbas    EGY
    14    [13]    Stewart Boswell    AUS
    15    [18]    Adrian Grant    ENG
    16    [15]    Mohd Azlan Iskandar    MAS
    17    [17]    Olli Tuominen    FIN
    18    [16]    Ong Beng Hee    MAS
    19    [19]    Laurens Jan Anjema    NED
    20    [20]    Alex Gough    WAL
 

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