Following the conclusion of last week's El Gouna International Squash Open - the final qualifying event on the 2016/17 Men’s Road To Dubai Standings - the line-up for the season-ending PSA Dubai World Series Finals has been confirmed and will see 16 of the world's best squash players descend on Dubai Opera from June 6-10 to compete for one of the sport's most lucrative titles.
With an equal prize purse of $160,000 on offer in both the Men's and Women's tournaments, the event will bring the cream of the squash world together for a season-ending spectacular - which will feature ten current and former World No.1s.
Only the top eight players on the Road To Dubai Standings qualify for a coveted place at the tournament and after a nail-biting week of competition at the final World Series tournament of the season in El Gouna, it was Germany's Simon Rösner who solidified his position inside the Men's top eight to sit narrowly ahead of former winner Ramy Ashour, who completes the top eight courtesy of his triumph at the Hong Kong Open at the start of the season.
Karim Abdel Gawad, the Egyptian World Champion who will become the World No.1 on May 1st, tops the Men's Standings after a breakthrough season that saw him capture the spoils at the Qatar Classic and Tournament of Champions along with runner-up finishes at the Hong Kong Open and El Gouna International.
The man he overtakes atop the World Rankings, defending World Series Finals champion Gregory Gaultier, sits in second place in the Standings after dominating the PSA Word Tour so far in 2017, while former World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy occupies the third position, just ahead of younger brother and World Series Finals debutant Marwan ElShorbagy.
English pair Nick Matthew and James Willstrop, both former World No.1s, sit at fifth and sixth on the standings, respectively to complete the Men's line up, while it is Frenchwoman Camille Serme - winner of the U.S. Open and Tournament of Champions, who tops the Women's Standings.
Two-time Women's World Champion Nour El Sherbini sits in second place, just ahead of last year's World Series Finals champion Laura Massaro, who will be joined by compatriots Sarah-Jane Perry - the 26-year-old who will be making her debut at the tournament - and Alison Waters, who comes in from berth number nine to to replace the injured Amanda Sobhy.
El Sherbini will be joined by compatriots Raneem El Welily and Nouran Gohar, while eight-time World Champion Nicol David completes the Women's qualifiers.
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