Much to his own surprise Derek Ryan will enter the new millennium as one of the world's top 10 squash players after the sport's latest ranking list, issued yesterday by the Professional Squash Association, saw him rise six places from 16 to 10. After losing in the first round of his last four major tournaments Ryan wasn't looking forward to the new list, fearing his poor run of form would cost him a place in the world top 20. "But then I got a message on my mobile from Alex Gough (the Welsh squash professional) and he said, `you're not going to believe this big man - I'm at nine and you're at 10", said Ryan. "I was amazed, I just couldn't believe it - and neither could Alex because he thought he would drop a few places too. We reckon the Millennium Bug must have got at their computer a few days early."

So, a year since the Dubliner first broke in to the world top 10, he has, most unexpectedly, regained his position amongst the sport's elite. "Looking at the list I think the explanation for my rise is that the points from the World Open in December 1998, when I lost in the first round, have come off everyone's ranking so players who did well then have dropped down. My best month of '99 was January, when I won the Apawamis Open in New York, so I still have the ranking points from then and that's lifted me above a few other guys."

"It's a fantastic boost and gives me a real lift going in to January's tournaments. I've had a horrible few months when, to be honest, a couple of niggling injuries meant I just wasn't fit enough for the matches I played in - and it cost me. So to start the year from such a good ranking position is just brilliant."

Ryan returned to his Nottingham base yesterday to prepare for three tournaments in the US in the next month - the Apawamis Open (which starts next Friday), the Greenwich Open and the Tournament of Champions in New York. He has won January tournaments in America the past two years - if he makes it three years' running he could well match his highest ever ranking of seven, which he reached in July of this year.

In the women's world rankings Ulster's Madeline Perry, in her first season as a full-time professional, has risen 30 places to 67 following her run to the semi-finals of the South of England Open in late November.

WORLD TOP 10 - 1 (1) Jonathon Power (Can), 2 (2) Peter Nicol (Scot), 3 (3) Ahmed Barada (Egy), 4 (8) Simon Parke (Eng), 5 (6) Martin Heath (Scot), 6 (4) Paul Johnson (Eng), 7 (5) Anthony Hill (Aus), 8 (11) Paul Price (Aus), 9 (9) Alex Gough (Wal), 10 (16) Derek Ryan (Ire). Other Irish rankings: 137 (147) Patrick Foster, 176 (272) John Rooney.