Fitz-Gerald Begins New Year As World No1 Australia's Sarah Fitz-Gerald begins the New Year as No1 in the January 2003 Women's World Squash Rankings, announced today (27 December) by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA). In marked contrast to the January 2002 list, whose top ten featured players from only three different countries, the January 2003 rankings boast the first ever top five with players from separate nations! Australian Fitz-Gerald is followed by New Zealander Carol Owens at No2; USA's Natalie Pohrer at 3; England's Linda Charman at 4; and, rising two places, Netherlands' Vanessa Atkinson at No5. Fitz-Gerald, who celebrated her 34th birthday at the beginning of this month, is poised to extend her unbeaten run since August 2001 into a third year. It was in November 1996 that the five-times world champion first topped the WISPA world rankings, holding the position for exactly two years until a lay-off for knee surgery saw her plunge to 38 in the world in January 2000. By then the fightback was underway, and Fitz-Gerald ultimately recaptured the world No1 ranking in October 2001 - and in 2002 secured a year-record 12 titles to take her career total to 61. Natalie Pohrer also enjoyed a best-ever year in 2002 - contrasting single title wins in 97, 98 and 99 with eight WISPA World Tour final appearances in the year, including four wins. The 25-year-old from St Louis reached the final of the World Open in November, then celebrated her switch of allegiance from England to USA by clinching two titles within six days before the end of the month. Vanessa Atkinson was also in fine form in 2002, reaching five WISPA finals and celebrating her second title in dramatic style in the final event of the year, claiming her first WISPA trophy in her home country when she won the Dutch Open title little more than a week ago in Maastricht. 1 [1] Sarah Fitz-Gerald AUS 2 [2] Carol Owens NZL 3 [3] Natalie Pohrer USA 4 [4] Linda Charman ENG 5 [7] Vanessa Atkinson NED 6 [5] Tania Bailey ENG 7 [8] Cassie Jackman ENG 8 [6] Rachael Grinham AUS 9 [9] Rebecca Macree ENG 10 [10] Fiona Geaves ENG 11 [11] Natalie Grinham AUS 12 [12] Stephanie Brind ENG 13 [15] Suzanne Horner ENG 14 [14] Pamela Nimmo SCO 15 [13] Jenny Tranfield ENG 16 [16] Omneya Abdel Kawy EGY 17 [18] Shelley Kitchen NZL 18 [17] Vicky Botwright ENG 19 [19] Ellen Petersen DEN 20 [20] Annelize Naude NED