Malaysian squash queen Nicol David has vowed to fight to regain the world number ranking after her record run of nine years at the top finally came to an end.

In a video message to her fans, David said she was "hungry" to snatch back the top spot from Egypt's Raneem El Welily, a feat she could manage after the ongoing China Open.

"I just want to say to all my Malaysian fans, thank you so much for all your support," David said. "I'm so proud to be Malaysian and just to be hungry and fight for the number one position for the country and make the nation proud."

David, 32, dropped to world number two in the September rankings, ending an incredible spell that dates back to August 2006 -- an unbroken sequence of 109 months.

However, she is just five points behind Alexandria-born El Welily, 26, meaning she could quickly reclaim the ranking.

David has amassed a record eight world titles during her glittering career and went unbeaten for 51 matches stretching over 13 months in 2006 and 2007.

El Welily, who spent eight months as world number two, finally toppled the Malaysian on the back of winning three major titles this year.

"Nicol has been number one for so long and the gap between her and all of us has been so huge that to get close to her is an achievement in itself," she told the World Squash Federation website.

"To be the person to finally overtake her is huge for me."
Source: AFP