LONDON, England, CMC – Guyanese squash ace Nicolette Fernandes, without an appearance on the international pro-circuit in recent months, remains just outside the top 100 in the latest women’s world squash rankings.
The September ratings for the Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA) released Wednesday, shows Fernandes at the same rating of 103rd she held in the August rankings.
The 26-year-old, who recently captured the Caribbean title in the Cayman Islands, has not played a major tournament on the international circuit since the Cayman Open in May when she lost in qualifying to the American Latasha Khan.
Fernandes has been using 2009 as her comeback year after a career-threatening knee problem that sidelined her from the pro-circuit for almost two years and plunged her below 200 in the world rankings.
On the back of some solid results during the first month of her comeback in March, Fernandes had made a huge leap from 215th to 113th in the April ratings.
She was ranked 115th in May, 104th in June and 101st in July.
Fernandes defeated several top-100 players while reaching the semi-finals of the Eindhoven Open and the final of the Swiss Open in March.
The Eindhoven Open was her first appearance on the WISPA circuit since the Qatar Open in April 2007.
Fernandes won the WISPA Most Improved Player Award in 2006 and had attained a personal best world rating of No.27 in May 2007 before knee surgery and rehab stalled her career.
Malaysia’s Nicol David retains the No.1 spot in the September ratings ahead of American Natalie Grainger, while Australian Natalie Grinham stays at No.3 ahead of her sister Rachael Grinham.
There is no change to the Top-10 since the August ratings.
Women’s International Squash
Players Association (WISPA)
Rankings – September
1 Nicol David (MAS)
2 Natalie Grainger (USA)
3 Natalie Grinham (AUS)
4 Rachael Grinham (AUS)
5 Alison Waters (ENG)
6 Jenny Duncalf (ENG)
7 Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY)
8 Madeline Perry (IRL)
9 Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (ENG)
10 Shelley Kitchen (NZL)
103rd Nicolette Fernandes (GUY)
