Aamir Atlas, Farhan Mehboob face world rankings slump

Pakistan won the men's squash team gold medal at the Asian Games in Guangzhou last month and Aamir Atlas Khan (left) and Farhan Mehboob (right) were part of the squad. —AFP Photo

PARIS: Pakistan’s top two squash players slumped further in the world rankings, released on Thursday, despite having secured medals at the Asian Games. Aamir Atlas Khan dropped a place to number 29, while Farhan Mehboob dropped to number 33 from his previous position of 30, according to the Professional Squash Association rankings for January 2011.
Khan had an improved outing in international squash in the year 2010, having won silver medal at the Asian Games’ individual squash event, gold in the team event but fell in the third round of the PSA World Open Squash Championship in Saudi Arab earlier this month.
Pakistan number two Farhan Mehboob could only make it to the second round of the World Open and was part of Pakistan’s gold-medal winning team at the Asian Games.
Meanwhile, England’s newly crowned world champion Nick Matthew will start 2011 at the top of the rankings.
The 30-year-old moves up one place from second, leap-frogging Egyptian 23-year-old Ramy Ashour.
Matthew became the first British world squash champion after triumphing at the world championships in Al Khobar.
Squash world ranking on January 1, 2011:
1. Nick Matthew (ENG)
2. Ramy Ashour (EGY)
3. Karim Darwish (EGY)
4. James Willstrop (ENG)
5. Amr Shabana (EGY)
6. Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
7. Thierry Lincou (FRA)
8. Peter Barker (ENG)
9. Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
10. Daryl Selby (ENG)
11. Cameron Pilley (AUS)
12. Laurens Jan Anjema (NED)
13. Wael El Hindi (EGY)
14. Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS)
15. Omar Mosaad (EGY)
16. David Palmer (AUS)
17. Adrian Grant (ENG)
18. Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY)
19. Stewart Boswell (AUS)
20. Alister Walker (ENG)
>29. Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK)
>33. Farhan Mehboob (PAK)