Egyptian on top in the World squash rankings

LONDON, (APP): Pakistan’s top player Aamir Atlas Khan has slipped from 14th slot to 18th in the new October PSA Men’s World Squash Rankings published by the UK-based Professional Squash Association. Boosted by last month’s success in the biggest PSA World Tour event of the year so far, Egypt’s Karim Darwish has extended his lead at the top.

Darwish’s appearance in the climax of the Super Series Platinum Sky Open in his home town of Cairo marked his second Tour final appearance since becoming world number one in January but gave the 28-year-old his first title triumph when he beat French rival Gregory Gaultier in a thrilling five-game marathon.

Gaultier strengthens his grip on second place in the list ­ ahead of Egyptians Amr Shabana and Ramy Ashour, who remain at three and four, respectively.

Victory in last month’s British Open in Manchester tightens Englishman Nick Matthew’s hold on fifth place in the list, while Australia’s David Palmer is in sixth place.

Ankle surgery in April led James Willstrop to drop out of the top ten in the middle of the year. But a sensational comeback run by the Englishman, including semi-final berths in the Malaysian Open and Sky Open and his second successive appearance in the final of the British Open, has pushed Willstrop up to seven in the new list.

But two more Egyptians are also celebrating notable rises, Wael El Hindi leaping seven places to No13 after reaching the Sky Open quarter-finals, against the odds. And 18-year-old Mohamed El Shorbagy, who continues his meteoric rise up the rankings to register a career-best No 14.

While Ong Beng Hee holds his top 20 position at 19, fellow Malaysian Mohd Azlan Iskandar returns to the elite group by jumping three places to 20.

The October top 20 (including points average):

1. Karim Darwish (Egypt) - 1154 points

2. Gregory Gaultier (France)-920 pts

3. Amr Shabana (Egypt)-871 pts

4. Ramy Ashour (Egypt)- 855 pts

5 . Nick Matthew (Eng)- 778 pts

6. David Palmer (Aus)- 586 pts

7. James Will strop (Eng)- 513 pts

8. Thierry Lincou (Fra)- 483 pts

9 . Peter Barker (Eng)- 416 pts

10. Adrian Grant (Eng) -381 pts

11. Borja Golan (Spain)- 352 pts

12 . Alister Walker (Eng)-- 344 pts

13. Wael El Hindi (Egy)-- 290 pts

14. Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egy)-278 pts

15. Laurens Jan Anjema (Netherlands)-- 273 pts

16. Stewart Boswell (Aus)-- 253 pts

17. Cameron Pilley (Aus) -- 248 pts

18. Aamir Atlas Khan (Pak)-- 247 pts

19. Ong Beng Hee (Mas)- 238 pts

20. Mohd Azlan Iskandar (Mas)-233 pts