South African Davis Cup tennis player Wesley Moodie has scaled a timely all-time high in the ATP's world doubles rankings by moving into eighth place in the ratings released on Monday.

The towering 1,96-metre Moodie recently made himself available for the critical World Group play-off against India at the Ellis Park Arena next month after an absence from the competition for the past year.

He has established himself among the top doubles players in the world during the last three months in which he won two ATP titles and reached the final of the French Open and the semifinal at Wimbledon, both with Belgian Dick Norman as his partner.

The 30-year-old Durban-born Moodie reached 59th in the singles rankings three years ago, but now devotes himself solely to doubles competition in which he is a former Wimbledon champion.

And the most recent world rankings generally provided a stimulus for South Africa's hopes of earning a place in the elite Davis Cup World Group for the first time in almost a decade - with the country's earmarked singles players against India, Rik De Voest and Izak van der Merwe, both improving their positions.

De Voest moved from 203rd place to 199th and Van der Merwe improved three places to 223rd in the intensely competitive singles rankings.

South African No 1 Kevin anderson, who has not made himself available for the Indian tie, improved from 157th position to 151st.