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Sky Success Extends Darwish's Lead
Boosted by last month's success in the biggest event of the
year so far, Egypt's Karim Darwish has extended his
lead at the top of the new October Men's World Rankings.
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 CIMB
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 Azlan Iskandar returns to the elite
group by jumping three places to 20.
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David Extends
Ranking Lead
 Nicol
David, who last month became world champion for the
fourth time, extends her lead at the top of the October
Women's World Rankings.
The 26-year-old Malaysian recovered from the shock of
surrendering her British
Open title midway through September to clinch the
Forexx Women's World Open trophy in glorious style
in Amsterdam on Sunday.
The win gave Nicol David her 40th WISPA World Tour title –
and leaves the Malaysian superstar just one world title
short of the record five achieved in 2002 by Australian
legend Sarah Fitz-Gerald.
Natalie Grinham, the 31-year-old who won a record
three Commonwealth Games gold medals for Australia in 2006
and is now a Dutch national, is richly rewarded for a fine
comeback from injury and illness with a return to No2 in the
new list.
The younger Grinham sister followed her success in lifting
the New Zealand Open
title in August by reaching her third successive WISPA Tour
final at Amsterdam's Frans Otten Stadion last week. Natalie
took the opening game in the World Open final, but her
impressive run finally came to an end at the hands of the
mighty Malaysian.
Natalie Grainger, the former world number one from
the USA who is currently recovering from a foot injury,
slips to No3, while Australia's Rachael Grinham –
beaten by sister Natalie in the World Open semi-finals –
holds onto fourth place, ahead of English pair Alison
Waters and Jenny Duncalf.
But Madeline Perry, the Irish number one who suffered
a career-threatening head injury two years ago, is rewarded
for her surprise appearance in the final of the British Open
in Manchester with a rise to No7 – her best ranking since a
career-best No6 in April 2006.
The 32-year-old from Banbridge, near Belfast, made her
British Open breakthrough by beating Nicol David – her first
win over the Malaysian in 15 career meetings – in the
quarter-finals, and went to make the last eight of the World
Open in the Netherlands capital.
Dutch star Vanessa Atkinson also records a rise in
the October list, moving up to 12 after a last 16 finish in
her home country – and England's Tania Bailey also makes a
return to the world top 20 at 19.
Outside the top 20, Australian
Donna Urquhart celebrates
a career-high 26 ranking after becoming the only qualifier
to reach the British Open quarter-finals – then making her
maiden appearance in the World Open after qualifying.
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TOP
20 WISPA