In the January ratings, Aamir stood at 19th but improved his standings with good showings in international tournaments held last month.

For Ashour, two successive PSA Super Series title successes at the end of last year took the 22-year-old from Cairo to the top of the world list for the first time in January.

And, despite losing in the final of the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions in New York last month, Ashour has extended his lead over second-placed Nick Matthew, the Englishman who finished as runner-up to the Egyptian in December's PSA Masters in India and Saudi International in Saudi Arabia.

Ashour is joined in the top four by fellow countrymen Amr Shabana and Karim Darwish, the former holding onto third place and the latter rising to No4 after a semi-final berth in New York.

But James Willstrop ,the Englishman who beat Darwish, Shabana and Ashour en-route to winning the Tournament of Champions, the first 2010 PSA Super Series event - rises to No6 in the new list, leapfrogging compatriot Peter Barker.

Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema moves up one place to a career-high-equalling No13, despite yet to get his 2010 PSA Tour campaign underway.

Following is the February top 20 (including points average)

1. Ramy Ashour                  EGY    1200

2. Nick Matthew                 ENG    1016

3.Amr Shabana                   EGY    951

4. Karim Darwish                 EGY    703

5. Gregory Gaultier              FRA    648

6. James Willstrop               ENG    643

7.Peter Barker           ENG    588

8. David Palmer                  AUS    502

9. Thierry Lincou                 FRA    454

10.Adrian Grant                  ENG    391

11. Wael El Hindi                 EGY    361

12. Alister Walker                ENG    329

13. Laurens Jan Anjema       NED    316

14. Mohamed El Shorbagy    EGY    309

15.Daryl Selby                    ENG    308

16. Stewart Boswell            AUS    287

17. Cameron Pilley               AUS    276

18. Aamir Atlas Khan           PAK    250

19. Ong Beng Hee               MAS   248

20. Mohd Azlan Iskandar      MAS    247