LONDON, England (CMC) – Guyanese squash ace Nicolette Fernandes, in her comeback year from injury, has moved within a shade of a Top-100 ranking spot and is now 101st on the Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA) ratings list.

Up two places from 103rd in the September ratings, Fernandes is just one position shy of a place among the Top 100 in the WISPA October rankings released on Wednesday.

Fernandes, 26, contested the Forexx Women’s World Open in the Netherlands last week and after winning her opening match in the qualifying draw, she lost in second-round qualifying to Hong Kong’s World No.36 Joey Chan.

After being sidelined for almost two years because of a knee injury, Fernandes returned to the international circuit this year and recorded encouraging results in European tournaments.

She reached the semi-finals of the Eindhoven Open and the final of the Swiss Open in March and returned to the Caribbean this past summer to recapture the Caribbean Championship in the Cayman Islands.

Her injury had wrecked her rankings status and after returning to the circuit with a 215 world ranking, the former World No.27 made considerable gain in the following months.

Fernandes, the 2006 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games champion made a huge leap from 215th to 113th in the April ratings and was 104th in June.

Forexx World Open champion Nicol David, of Malaysia, easily retains the No.1 spot which she has held unbroken for the past three years.

Australia-born World Open runner-up Natalie Grinham, who now represents the Netherlands, displaced American Natalie Grainger at No.2 and Australian Rachael Grinham retains fourth spot.

In one other change among the Top-10, Ireland’s Madeline Perry moved up one place to No.7, unseating Egypt’s Omneya Abdel Kawy.

Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA) Rankings – October
1. Nicol David (MAS)
2. Natalie Grinham (AUS)
3. Natalie Grainger (USA)
4. Rachael Grinham (AUS)
5. Alison Waters (ENG)
6. Jenny Duncalf (ENG)
7. Madeline Perry (IRL)
8. Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY)
9. Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (ENG)
10. Shelley Kitchen (NZL)
101st Nicolette Fernandes (GUY)