The groups have been drawn for the season-ending ATCO PSA Dubai World Series Finals, and squash fans in Dubai are in for a treat with sensational clashes in store when play gets underway at Emirates Golf Club from June 5-9.
The lucrative tournament – which offers an equal prize purse of $320,000 across the men’s and women’s events – brings together the top eight men and women in the PSA World Series standings, with players earning qualification points at each World Series event contested during the 2017/18 season.
The event, which is supported by the Dubai Sports Council, will see players will face-off against each other in a round-robin best-of-three game series between June 5-7 with only two players progressing from each group of four to the semi-finals on June 8, before the finals are played on June 9.
In men’s Group A, 2018 Allam British Open champion Miguel Angel Rodriguez is drawn with the man he beat in the final of that tournament last week – Egypt’s World No1 Mohamed El Shorbagy.
Rodriguez’s heroics at the British Open saw him oust three-time world champion Nick Matthew to earn his place in Dubai for a second time in three years, while he also became the first South American player ever to win a World Series title after overcoming defending World Series Finals champion El Shorbagy in a thrilling 102-minute battle.
The duo have been drawn against three-time World Series Finals champion Gregory Gaultier and Mohamed’s younger brother Marwan, who claimed a maiden World Series crown last month at the El Gouna International, in what promises to be a compelling group.
Mohamed El Shorbagy.
World No2 Ali Farag heads up Group B in the men’s event and is joined by Tournament of Champions winner Simon Rosner, world No5 Tarek Momen and 2016 world champion Karim Abdel Gawad.
There promises to be plenty of drama in the women’s event too, with last year’s runner-up Nour El Sherbini, the current world No1, drawn together with world No3 Nour El Tayeb – who won the US Open in October – Windy City Open runner-up and 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Joelle King and world No5 Nouran Gohar in Group A.
Defending champion Laura Massaro is drawn against reigning world champion Raneem El Welily as she aims to claim a third successive World Series Finals title, while world No6 Camille Serme and world No8 Sarah-Jane Perry make up the rest of Group B.
The group stages will get underway on June 5 with Group B action beginning at 15:00, with Group A action on court from 20:00.
Group stage matches will take place at 15:00, 15:45, 16:30 and 17:15 (Group B) and 20:00, 20:45, 21:30 and 22:15 (Group A), with the semi-finals due to take place from 20:00 on June 8. The finals will commence at 20:00 on June 9.
Tickets for the World Series Finals can be purchased at https://dubai.platinumlist.net/event-tickets/70345/atco-psa-dubai-world-series-finals.
For further information on both the PSA World Series and the PSA World Tour, visit www.worldseriesfinals.com.
2017/18 ATCO PSA Dubai World Series Finals group draw
Men’s Group A
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Men’s Group B
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Women’s Group A
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Joelle King (NZL)
Nouran Gohar (EGY
Women’s Group B
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
