The 2016/17 PSA Dubai World Series Finals – taking place at Dubai Opera from June 6-10 – looks certain to deliver a blockbuster climax to the squash season after a quartet of former world number ones: Gregory Gaultier, Ramy Ashour, Mohamed El Shorbagy and James Willstrop were drawn together in a mouth-watering group stage.
The lucrative tournament, which has $160,000 on offer in both the men’s and women’s draws, will see the players face off against each other in a round-robin best-of-three series from June 6-8 for a place in the knockout semi-finals and beyond – with only two players progressing from each group.
Current top star Karim Abdel Gawad, the man who topped the PSA Road To Dubai Standings, finds himself going up against another Nick Matthew, in-form Marwan El Shorbagy and Germany’s hard-hitting Simon Rosner in the second group – with both Egyptians making their debut appearance at the prestigious tournament.
The five-day event brings together the cream of squash talent and the Women’s Group Draw has pitted three World Championship winners – Egypt’s two-time winner Nour El Sherbini, Malaysia’s eight-time winner Nicol David and 2013 World Champion, and defending World Series Finals Champion, Laura Massaro – alongside debutante Sarah-Jane Perry.
In action: Camille Serme.
The second group will see Camille Serme, who topped the Women’s Road to Dubai standings, Raneem El Welily, Nouran Gohar and Alison Waters clash for a place in the coveted knock-out stages.
When the Group stages gets underway on June 6, Gaultier, Ashour, El Shorbagy and Willstrop will take to court during the day’s second session of play – beginning at 9:30pm – alongside El Sherbini, Massaro, David and Perry.
Both Group As will be in action from 3:00pm.
The PSA Dubai World Series Finals takes place from June 6-10, 2017 with the tournament match schedule to be announced on Monday June 5. All of the action will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only).
Group stage matches will take place at 3:00pm, 3:45pm, 16:45pm and 17:30pm (Group A) and 21:30pm, 22:15pm, 23:15pm and 00:00am (Group B) between June 6-8 with the semi-finals due to take place from 21:30pm on June 9. The finals will commence at 21:30pm on June 10.
Tickets for the World Series Finals can be purchased at https://dubaiopera.etixdubai.com/shows/show.aspx?sh=PSAUMB