World Champion Gaultier Relishing Dubai Debut by Nathan Clarke photos PSA
April 22, 2016
- Current World Champion Gregory Gaultier says he cannot wait to travel
to Dubai this May for the 2015/16 Dubai PSA World Series Finals when
squash will take centre stage in one of the most amazing sporting
locations of all time in front of the stunning Burj Khalifa.
World
No.2 Gaultier has won the prestigious tournament, which brings only the
top eight players in the world together for a week of high-octane
action, on two previous occasions and was delighted to see the World
Series Finals return to the PSA World Tour calendar this year after a
two-year absence.
"To have the court there sitting beside
the Burj Khalifa is amazing and the pictures that came out last week
are incredible and I can't wait to be there," said Gaultier, who
competes in the final PSA World Series tournament of the season, the El
Gouna International, this coming week.
"I've never been to
Dubai before so I'm excited to be going and competing. I'll be bringing
my family there and I think it will be an amazing week. It's great for
squash to have a tournament in Dubai, it's something I think we've all
wanted for a few years, and I have lots of friends who will be coming.
I'm looking forward to seeing what it is like for real."
Gaultier
last won the event when it was staged in London in 2012 and is looking
forward to competing against the very best players from the off in what
he says is a tournament like no other.
Having already
secured his place in the finals as one of four players alongside
Mohamed Elshorbagy, Nick Matthew and Omar Mosaad, the 33-year-old will
also be looking forward to competing in El Gouna in a tournamet that
will be the last chance for many players to stake their claim for one
of four remaining qualifying places.
"I've played and won
the finals a few times before," he said. "It's a fantastic tournament
and it's intense from the first match.
"You play the best
players form the first day so it's very explosive and with it being
best of three you have to be ready from the very first point. Anybody
can go through the pool I think because the competition is so open.
"There
are so many players that could qualify for the last few places so I
think El Gouna will be interesting - there's going to be an extra
pressure on them so I'll enjoy that.
"Nowadays the players
from 5-20 and beyond all have a chance of winning big matches and
making finals so the first rounds at the big tournaments are very, very
tough.”
The 2016 El Gouna International takes place from
April 21-24 at the Movenpick hotel El Gouna and 24-29 at the New Marina
El Gouna.
