2010 PSA World Series Final Replay Attempt Shelved by Howard Harding
16 August 2011-
The PSA has confirmed that, despite the best efforts of all parties
concerned, the 2010 ATCO PSA World Series Finals final will not now
take place.
Staged in spectacular style at The
Queen's Club in London in January, the flagship PSA event featuring the
world's top eight players was prevented from reaching a conclusion when
the inflatable structure in which the climax was due to be staged
became unsafe.
Nick Matthew, the world number one
from England, was due to face Egypt's four-time world champion Amr
Shabana - both players bidding to win the prestigious title for the
first time.
"Whilst we are hugely disappointed
with not being able to hold the postponed final, we feel this is the
right decision," explained PSA CEO Alex Gough from Canberra, after the
final of the highly successful Viridian Australian Open, the third PSA
World Series championship of 2011.
"It was such a fantastic event,
until the unfortunate situation on the final day, and it would have
been a costly exercise to replicate for a single match.
"Both Nick and Amr have been kept
informed at all stages of the year and, whilst disappointed in not
completing the event, have been totally supportive and understanding of
the position," added Gough.
"We are now fully focused on the
2011 edition of the PSA World Series Finals which will again be at
Queen's this coming January."
Matthew, the runner-up in Canberra,
said: "It was obviously a massive disappointment both at the time and
now to hear of the cancellation of the World Series Final. It was one
of the finest tournaments I have ever been involved in and one which
was set to change people's perspectives about the way squash can be
presented.
"Hopefully it still achieved that to
a certain degree, the work that Ziad (Al-Turki) and the PSA put in to
it certainly deserved it, and it's a tournament that will go from
strength to strength in the future."