Squash: Marshall moving up in world

PETER MARSHALL confirmed his reputation as Britain's best male hope for 20 years by climbing another place on the world rankings to No 5 yesterday. The 21-year-old Leicestershire player with the unique double-handed style is also within a whisker of taking fourth position, currently occupied by Brett Martin, a member of Australia's world title-winning team.

Marshall, who almost beat the world No 2, Chris Dittmar, in Cardiff nine days ago, now looks capable of passing the No 4 ranking achieved in the 1980s by Phil Kenyon and Gawain Briars, and becoming the highest placed Briton since the Jonah Barrington era.

Phil Whitlock has climbed six places to No 11 in the rankings. Despite being ostracised by his compatriots in Calgary in January after taking the English national title in a boycotted tournament, Whitlock nevertheless won the Canadian Open, his best achievement to date.