A day after celebrating her 34th birthday, Australia's five-times world champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald reclaimed her No.1 position in the new world rankings announced by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA).

Despite dominating the sport for the past two years and being unbeaten for the previous 14 months, Fitz-Gerald surprisingly dropped to No.2 in the rankings published on 1st November.

Twenty four hours later she lifted the World Open title for a record fifth time.

The popular squash superstar from Melbourne, voted 'Australian Athlete of the Year' earlier this year, is currently resting from the WISPA World Tour, reflecting on the 12 titles she won in 2002 and the 61 she has amassed in her career since 1989.

New Zealand's Carol Owens slips back into second position, following a semi-final placing in the World Open and success in the Weymuller US Open in New York two weeks later.

Natalie Pohrer celebrates her switch of allegiance to USA last month by rising to a career-best No.3 in the new list. The one-time South African, who played as an Englishwoman until taking up the colours of her country of residence after marrying an American, was runner-up in the World Open - then won both the Grasshopper Cup in Switzerland and Monte Carlo Classic in Monaco to crown a highly successful November run.

Queensland sisters Rachael and Natalie Grinham are both at career-best spots - Cairo-based Rachael moved to No.6 and Netherlands-based Natalie No.11.

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