EGYPT'S Amr Shabana celebrated his 15th month at the top of the Dunlop PSA Men's World Squash Rankings, according to the new June list issued by the Professional Squash Association thus becoming the fourth longest-standing world number one of all-time. After sharing 14 months at the top of the prestigious list last month with Canadian Jonathon Power and Frenchman Thierry Lincou, the two-times world champion from Cairo has pushed the pair into fifth place, now taking fourth position exclusively behind former greats Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan from Pakistan, and England's Peter Nicol. Shabana won his first PSA Tour title in Mexico in 1999 and went on to amass 16 titles, including two World Open crowns (in 2003 and 2005). He first topped the world rankings in April last year. There is further cause for Egyptian celebration in the new list as teen sensation Rami Ashour moves up to a career-high No 2 in the June rankings, just 42 points behind his illustrious compatriot. The 19-year-old from Cairo shocked the squash world in April when he won the two biggest titles of the year, clinching the $200,000 Sheikh Al-Saad Kuwait Open trophy and then the $120,000 Qatar Classic in Doha within six days, to bring his title haul for the year to four. Australia's World Open champion David Palmer slips to three, ahead of Frenchmen Gregory Gaultier, at 4, and Thierry Lincou, at 5, in an otherwise unchanged top 10. Egypt's Wa'el Hindi and Karim Darwish were placed 10th and 11th in the world standings, while Mohamed Abbas maintained his position as the world's No 14.
