WORLD SQUASH NEWS

Grinham Closes In On Jackman

Cassie Jackman retains her No1 position in the new May Women's World Squash Rankings, announced today (29 April) by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA), but Australia's No2 Rachael Grinham has narrowed the gap behind the Englishwoman.

In an almost unchanged top 20, Dutch No1 Vanessa Atkinson holds her third place, ahead of USA's Natalie Grainger at four and Rachael's younger sister Natalie Grinham at five.

Jackman has been runner-up in her past four WISPA World Tour ranking events, but claimed her first title for six months when she lifted the World Grand Prix Finals trophy (a non-ranking event) last week.

Rachael Grinham, however, boasts two significant victories over her English rival this year - in the finals of the Kuwait Open and Texas Open - but failed to make her anticipated rendezvous with Jackman in the Grand Prix Finals climax after losing to sister Natalie in the semi-finals.

Hong Kong's Rebecca Chiu moves up one place to 18 in the new list, while Scotland's Pamela Nimmo celebrates a welcome return to the top twenty, at 20, after a five-month absence.

This month also sees the issue of WISPA's 'Rising Stars' ranking list for junior members of the Association:  Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy, at 10 in the 'senior' list, tops the list by a massive margin, but up to two in the quarterly list is her fast-rising compatriot Raneem El Weleily.  The 15-year-old from Alexandria caused a sensation in her home country last week when she beat higher-ranked Sara Badr and Engy Kheirallah to lift the National title for the first time.


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