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Karim Darwish Is New World Number One
Egypt's Karim Darwish is number one for the first time in the new January
Dunlop PSA Men's World Squash Rankings published by the Professional
Squash Association - ending the 33-month reign of his illustrious compatriot
Amr Shabana.
Darwish, 27, from Cairo, is the 13th player in history to top the men's world
list, but only the second Egyptian.
After winning no events at all in 2006, Darwish claimed a single PSA Tour
title the following year. But it was in 2008, which he began ranked eight in
the world, that the former world junior champion - hitherto largely overshadowed
by fellow countrymen like Shabana and Ramy Ashour - made his mark:
Darwish reached six finals (including the World Open in England in
October) and secured three titles, including his first Super Series
crowns at the Qatar Classic and Saudi International.
It was his victory in last month's Saudi International - the richest event of
all time, in which he scored his second win of the year over Shabana - that
clinched Darwish's world-ranking breakthrough.
"This is the greatest moment of my career," said Darwish after winning the Saudi
title which guaranteed his world number one status. "I've been working really
hard all my life to reach this moment - thank God I should do it in this, the
richest tournament ever."
Shabana slips to two in the new list - but World Open champion Ramy
Ashour remains at No3, thus maintaining Egypt's unique hold on the top three
ranking positions in the world!
Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, runner-up to Darwish in the Saudi
International, holds onto fourth place, with England's James Willstrop at
No5 and Australia's British Open champion at six.
Malaysia's Ong Beng Hee begins 2009 in the top ten after moving up two
places from 12.
Three players boast career-best rankings in the lower half of the top twenty -
Pakistan teenager Aamir Atlas Khan rising to a best-ever 15, and
Australian Cameron Pilley also moving up a single place to claim a
first-time 17th place.
But Botswana-born Englishman Alister Walker - outside the top thirty a
year ago - celebrates his maiden appearance in the top twenty by jumping three
places to No18.
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Rank |
Prev |
Player |
Pts |
Ctry |
| 1é |
[2] |
Karim
Darwish |
1110 |
Egy |
| 2ê |
[1] |
Amr
Shabana |
973 |
Egy |
|
3 |
[3] |
Ramy Ashour |
935 |
Egy |
|
4 |
[4] |
Gregory
Gaultier |
811 |
Fra |
|
5 |
[5] |
James
Willstrop |
771 |
Eng |
| 6 |
[6] |
David Palmer |
636 |
Aus |
| 7 |
[7] |
Thierry Lincou |
601 |
Fra |
| 8 |
[8] |
Wael El Hindi |
506 |
Egy |
| 9 |
[9] |
Peter Barker |
449 |
Eng |
|
10é |
[12] |
Ong Beng Hee |
409 |
Mas |
|
11 |
[11] |
Adrian Grant |
404 |
Eng |
| 12ê |
[10] |
Nick
Matthew |
378 |
Eng |
|
13 |
[13] |
Azlan Iskandar |
372 |
Mas |
| 14 |
[14] |
Borja Golan |
352 |
Esp |
| 15é |
[16] |
Aamir Atlas Khan |
304 |
Pak |
| 16é |
[17] |
Laurens Jan Anjema |
304 |
Ned |
|
17é |
[18] |
Cameron Pilley |
304 |
Aus |
| 18 |
[21] |
Alister Walker |
273 |
Eng |
|
19 |
[17] |
Stewart Boswell |
271 |
Aus |
| 20 |
[22] |
Olli Ttuominen |
256 |
Fin |
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