WORLD SQUASH NEWS

Jackman Jumps Back To World No1

England's Cassie Jackman has reclaimed the No1 position in the new February Women's World Squash Rankings, announced today (03 February) by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA) - just 17 months after undergoing career-threatening back surgery for the second time.

The 31-year-old from Norwich in Norfolk, who first became world No1 in January 2000 after winning the World Open title in Seattle the previous October, had surgery to remove part of a disc in her spine in September 2002.  The operation was prompted by discomfort she suffered in the Commonwealth Games in Manchester a month earlier, and was similar to one performed in November 2000.

Jackman marked her comeback in January last year with victory in the Edinburgh Open - and went on to reach eight more finals and win four further WISPA titles, including the Las Vegas, Malaysian and US Opens.  Cassie's appearance in January's Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open marked her 50th WISPA World Tour final.

Australia's Rachael Grinham, winner of the Kuwait Open, moves up to No3 in the new list, just behind Natalie Grainger, of the USA, who stays at No2.

In the first WISPA list since last month's retirement of New Zealand's World Open champion Carol Owens, seven-times Dutch champion Vanessa Atkinson rises to a career-high No4 after reaching the World Open semi-finals against the seeding.

Malaysia's twice former world junior champion Nicol David also boasts a career-best position in the new list, rising two places to No8.

France's Isabelle Stoehr also continues her climb up the world list, registering a career-high No12 ranking after reaching the Kuwait Open quarter-finals as a qualifier.

1 [3] Cassie Jackman ENG
2 [2] Natalie Grainger USA
3 [4] Rachael Grinham AUS
4 [5] Vanessa Atkinson NED
5 [6] Natalie Grinham AUS
6 [7] Linda Charman ENG
7 [9] Fiona Geaves ENG
8 [10] Nicol David MAS
9 [8] Rebecca Macree ENG
10 [11] Vicky Botwright ENG
11 [13] Tania Bailey ENG
12 [14] Isabelle Stoehr FRA
13 [16] Omneya Abdel Kawy EGY
14 [15] Jenny Duncalf ENG
15 [12] Stephanie Brind ENG
16 [18] Shelley Kitchen NZL
17 [17] Jenny Tranfield ENG
18 [19] Rebecca Chiu HKG
19 [20] Madeline Perry IRL
20 [21] Sharon Wee MAS

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