Nicol David's position as world No 1 may look untenable, but the fight for second is hotting up with the World Open in Manchester approaching.
The Malaysian has held top spot for over two years while in recent months Natalie and Rachael Grinham have taken sibling rivalry to a new level.
The latest rankings show that Natalie has reclaimed second spot after older sister Rachael overtook the recently-turned Dutch national last month. It is the third time in successive months the pair have changed ranking.
USA's Natalie Grainger retains fourth, ahead of England's Jenny Duncalf. Harrogate-based Duncalf, seeded five for Manchester, heads four English players who have been seeded for the women's event.
They include reigning National Champion Alison Waters, who has raced up the rankings in recent months.
Waters was in 11th two months ago, but now sits high in sixth after the 24-year-old claimed a surprise semi-final berth in the Dutch Open afterbeating Rachael Grinham.
Meanwhile, the World Open draw sees David top-seeded to win her third title. She will be desperately keen to avoid her blip in Madrid last year when she lost to New Zealand’s Shelley Kitchen in the last 16.
It was the first time she had failed to make the quarter finals of a WISPA tour event since April 2004.
An IOC delegate is expected to attend the event in Manchester as squash begins a year of frantic activity to get on the Olympic agenda ahead of a vote in Copenhagen next October.
The global appeal is clearly evident in the women's event with the top 16 seeds represented by 11 countries.
The latest rankings show that Natalie has reclaimed second spot after older sister Rachael overtook the recently-turned Dutch national last month. It is the third time in successive months the pair have changed ranking.
USA's Natalie Grainger retains fourth, ahead of England's Jenny Duncalf. Harrogate-based Duncalf, seeded five for Manchester, heads four English players who have been seeded for the women's event.
They include reigning National Champion Alison Waters, who has raced up the rankings in recent months.
Waters was in 11th two months ago, but now sits high in sixth after the 24-year-old claimed a surprise semi-final berth in the Dutch Open afterbeating Rachael Grinham.
Meanwhile, the World Open draw sees David top-seeded to win her third title. She will be desperately keen to avoid her blip in Madrid last year when she lost to New Zealand’s Shelley Kitchen in the last 16.
It was the first time she had failed to make the quarter finals of a WISPA tour event since April 2004.
An IOC delegate is expected to attend the event in Manchester as squash begins a year of frantic activity to get on the Olympic agenda ahead of a vote in Copenhagen next October.
The global appeal is clearly evident in the women's event with the top 16 seeds represented by 11 countries.
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