Gaultier Moves Up To Second Place In New World Rankings

While Egypt's world champion Amr Shabana maintains his lead at the top of the May Dunlop PSA Men's World Squash Rankings, Frenchman Gregory Gaultier moves up to second place in the new list published by the Professional Squash Association.

Shabana, the 28-year-old from Cairo now in his 26^th successive month as world number one, strengthened his position at the top by winning the $200,000 Kuwait Open title last month - beating his second-seeded compatriot Ramy Ashour in the final.

But Ashour, who had defeated Shabana earlier in the month in the final of the Hurghada International in Egypt, has slipped two positions to No4 - behind Gaultier and England's James Willstrop.

Gaultier, who defends his British Open title in Liverpool next week, lost out to Shabana in the Kuwait semi-finals.

Willstrop has enjoyed an impressive run of form this year - winning three PSA Tour events in a row in Sweden, the USA and the UK before ending his 15-match unbeaten run in the Kuwait quarter-finals.

Victory in the Dayton Open in January and a surprise semi-final berth in Kuwait takes Thierry Lincou back into the world top five after a seven-month absence. 

Malaysia's Ong Beng Hee has much to celebrate after jumping two places to No10 - marking his first appearance in the top ten since December 2003.

Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema is celebrating his best-ever ranking.  The 25-year-old from The Hague picked up his seventh PSA Tour title in February when he won the Bluenose Classic in Canada.