Dubai to host world's top squash players in June

Emirates Golf Club will become the latest stunning venue in Dubai to showcase the PSA Dubai World Series Finals 

 

The cream of world squash will be back in Dubai in just over six weeks to contest the lucrative season-ending ATCO PSA Dubai World Series Finals, which this year will be held in a purpose-built all-glass showcourt at the Emirates Golf Club.

After the resounding success of the event held in Dubai Opera last year, the eyes of the sporting world will once again be on Dubai from June 5 to 9, as only the top eight men and women in the PSA World Series Standings qualify to contest one of the most prestigious titles on the PSA World Tour.

Emirates Golf Club will become the latest stunning venue in Dubai to showcase the PSA Dubai World Series Finals, with the 2015/16 edition held in the shadow of the Burj Khalifa - while the 2016/17 instalment saw squash become the first sporting event ever to take place at Dubai Opera.

"During the past three years Dubai has proven to be the perfect destination for the PSA World Series Finals and I am excited to be taking the event back to the Emirate again this June," said PSA Chairman and A. A. Turki Group of Companies (ATCO) chairman Ziad Al Turki.

"Every major sport in the world has a presence in Dubai and I'm delighted that squash continues to be a part of that. We have built a strong association with Dubai and Dubai Sports Council since first taking the World Series Finals there in 2016 and this year we are excited to be working with Emirates Golf Club to put on another world-class sporting occasion.

"The World Series Finals is a showcase event for squash, something that fits perfectly with Dubai and Emirates Golf Club and I look forward to welcoming some of the world's finest athletes back to Dubai again on June 5."

Christopher May, chief executive officer of Dubai Golf commented, "We are delighted to be the venue for this prestigious event. Over our 30 year history we have welcomed a host of sporting legends and icons to Emirates Golf Club, and we are all looking forward to what will be a fantastic tournament and witnessing another world class sporting occasion at the Club."

In order to qualify for the PSA World Series Finals, players must finish in the top eight on the PSA World Series Standings, with points on offer at all eight World Series tournaments throughout the 2017/18 season. Nine players - five men and four women - have already qualified after stellar performances in the first five events, and with the penultimate qualifying event currently underway in El Gouna, Egypt, the race is on to fill the final qualification places.

Egypt's impressive dominance of squash continues, currently claiming the top three qualification spots for both men and women. World number one and PSA World Series Finals defending champion Mohamed Elshorbagy has been in blistering form this year, appearing in four finals and claiming three titles to date and currently tops the standings. Fellow Egyptians Ali Farag, Tarek Momen and Marwan Elshorbagy fill second, third and fifth respectively with Germany's Simon Rosner's win in the Tournament of Champions placing him in fourth.

2016 World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad, three-time World Champion Nick Matthew and three-time World Series Finals winner Gregory Gaultier take up the rest of the spots inside the top eight.

The women's line-up is led by world number one Nour El Sherbini, with Nour El Tayeb and World Champion Raneem El Welily in second and third places. New Zealand's Joelle King's runner-up finish in the Windy City Open has pushed her into fourth, and she will make her first appearance at the World Series Finals in June, fresh from her victories in the women's singles and women's doubles at the Commonwealth Games in Australia.

France's Camille Serme, defending champion Laura Massaro, Egypt's Nouran Gohar and England's Sarah-Jane Perry complete the top eight on the women's standings, while two-time winner Nicol David currently sits 15 points behind Perry and, with only two World Series tournaments remaining this season, has a real fight on her hands to qualify.

The battle for the final qualification places continues this week at the El Gouna International which concludes on April 27, with the final event, the British Open, held from May 5 to 20.

With an equal prize purse of $160,000 on offer in both the men's and women's tournaments the five day event will bring together the cream of squash talent - with players playing a round-robin best-of-three series for place in the knockout semifinals.