El Tayeb Tumbles Into World Top 20

A massive leap of 16 places sees Egyptian teenager Nour El Tayeb soar into the top 20 of the Women's World Squash Rankings, according to the new December list published by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA).

Indomitable Malaysian Nicol David heads the list for the 53rd consecutive month, ahead of English pair Jenny Duncalf and Alison Waters, at two and three, respectively, and Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy in fourth place.

But it is 17-year-old El Tayeb who steals the headlines in the final women's rankings of the year by jumping from 35 last month to 16. Ranked outside the top 100 in early 2008 and outside the top 40 at the beginning of this year, the Cairo youngster grabbed a succession of notable scalps on the Tour over the last two months - including higher-ranked compatriot Engy Kheirallah in October's Carol Weymuller Open in New York, and Egyptian number one Omneya Abdel Kawy and top twenty-ranked New Zealander Joelle King last month en-route to the semi-finals of the WISPA Gold Qatar Classic.

Runner-up in the World Junior Championship in Germany in June, unseeded El Tayeb scored her maiden WISPA World Tour title at the Creteil International Open in France in February, beating the top seed Camille Serme in the final.

El Tayeb's ranking breakthrough puts four Egyptians in the world top 20 for the first time.

New Zealanders also have much to celebrate in the new list - with Auckland's Jaclyn Hawkes rising to a best-ever No12 and Commonwealth Games heroine Joelle King up three places to a career-high 17th place.

And 20-year-old Malaysian Low Wee Wern also rises to a career-best 15th place.

December top 20 (inc. points average):

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