DUBAI // Dethroned at the World Open last month, Malaysian squash legend Nicol David has turned her attention to next week’s PSA World Series Finals here, predicting “furious” competition from the offset of the five-day event as she seeks a hat-trick of WSA titles.
The World Series Finals, which will be held at the Burj Park in Downtown Dubai from May 24-28, will see the top eight players on the men’s and women’s tours, including several former world champions, clash for one of the most lucrative paycheques in the sport, an equal prize purse of Dh587,700.
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The eight players in both the men’s and have women’s section have been divided into two groups with the top two in each group progressing to the semi-finals, scheduled for Friday, May 27. There will be eighth best-of-three matches on each of the first three days to decide the semi-finalists, with every player playing once each day.
Drawn alongside England’s world No 2 and 2013 world champion Laura Massaro in Group A, David, the world No 5 and an eight-time world champion, will open her campaign against the United States’ world No 1 Amanda Sobhy, before meeting Massaro on Day 2 and Egypt’s Nouran Gohar on Day 3.
Nour El Sherbini, the reigning world champion and No 1 from Egypt, has been drawn in Group B alongside compatriots El Weleily, Omneya Abdel Kawy and Frenchwoman Camille Serme.
In the men’s section, world No 1 Mohamed Elshorbagy will face-off against Englishman Nick Matthew, Miguel Angel Rodriguez of Colombia and France’s Mathieu Castagnet for the two semi-final spots from Group A, while Group B will see Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, Egypt’s Omar Mosaad, Simon Rosner of Germany and Australian Cameron Pilley battle for the two qualifying spots.
“It’ll be my first time ever competing in a squash tournament in Dubai,” David, who will be looking to complete a hat-trick of World Series Finals (WSA) titles after winning the 2011 and 2012 editions.
“This year it will be extra special and I’m sure it’ll be a real treat for all the players to be there playing on the glass court by the spectacular Burj Khalifa.”
David, who held the No 1 ranking for a record 108 consecutive months before finally ceding it to Egypt’s Raneem El Weleily last July, says squash fans in Dubai are in for a treat.
“The most exciting aspect is showcasing the best of the best eight men and eight women squash players altogether battling it out to finish off the season at the top,” she said.
“It’ll be furious squash from the first day during the pool matches and that will be such an attraction for spectators to see the best players all at once in one venue.”
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