Dubai: The the top eight men’s and women’s line-up for next month’s PSA World Series Finals at Emirates Golf Club, June 5-9, has been confirmed following last weekend’s British Open, which was the penultimate stage of the eight-event PSA World Tour season.
Colombia’s Miguel Angel Rodriguez stormed into the top eight by winning his first ever World Series title in Hull on Sunday. This pushed England’s three-time World Champion Nick Matthew out of the running for Dubai and into retirement an event earlier than expected, following a glittering career that saw the 37-year-old claim 35 titles.
World No.1 Mohammad Al Shorbagy leads the men’s standings after three wins and two runners-up finishes. The Egyptian only missed two finals all season; the US Open and El Gouna, finishing top of the standings on 485 points.
He is followed by World No.2 and fellow Egyptian Ali Farag on 360 points. This was Farag’s best season to date winning his first World Series event, the US Open, and reaching a career-high ranking.
Mohammad’s younger brother Marwan rounds off an all-Egyptian top three. Marwan has also enjoyed his best ever season winning his first ever event in El Gouna.
Germany’s Simon Rosner and Egypt’s Tarek Momen follow in fourth and fifth position, respectively. Rosner is the only player other than Miguel Angel Rodriguez to have disrupted Egypt’s otherwise clean sweep of events this season, winning the Tournament of Champions in the US to become the first German to win a World Series event. Momen meanwhile reached finals in both Qatar and the Tournament of Champions.
World No.14 Rodriguez, who was unseeded ahead of his British Open win, takes sixth spot after beating Mohammad Al Shorbagy in Hull last weekend.
France’s Gregory Gaultier and Egypt’s Karim Abdul Gawad complete the line-up and, after struggling with injury throughout the season, they will be hoping to end the year on a high in Dubai.
In the women’s standings, Egypt’s World No.1 Noor Al Sherbini leads after picking up 515 points with four World Series titles this season, including her British Open win over compatriot Raneem Al Welily last weekend.
World Champion Al Welily is second after winning El Gouna and finishing runner up at four other events to total 425 points.
Noor Al Tayeb completes another all-Egyptian top three as US Open and Windy City Open champion with 385 points to secure her first finals appearance.
England’s Laura Massaro is fourth on 215 after a string of semi-finals, while New Zealand’s Joelle King will also debut in the season-ender after finishing fifth.
France’s Camille Serme, Egypt’s Nouran Gohar and England’s Sarah-Jane Perry complete the women’s top eight.
Players will go head-to-head in best-of-three group games to get to the semis in Dubai. Prize money of US$320,000 (Dh1.175 million) will be split equally among men’s and women’s events.
