Doha: Qatar Squash Federation (QSF) have kick started preparation for hosting the Professional Squash Association’s (PSA) World Championship which gets underway here on November 14.
The week long championship will be contested by the some of the top players at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.
Leading the field is World No. 1 Mohamed Elshorbagy.
The Egyptian has began his preparations in right earnest and has already checked into Doha along with younger brother Marwan, the World No. 14.
The Elshorbagy brothers have been training at Aspire Academy along with local hope Abdulla Al Tamimi.
The Qatari, World No. 74, has been handed a wild card and will not have to go through the qualification hassles.
QSF Technical Secretary Gamal Rasmi confirmed that the Elshorbagy brothers are already here.
“Mohammed is World No. 1 but he is the number two seed of the championship. The seedlings were done based on the rankings of October month,” said Rasmi.
The QSF official said the preparations for hosting the event has been moving in the direction.
“We have installed a new glass court. The seeded players will be playing on the new glass court,” he added.
Meanwhile, defending World Champion Nick Matthew says he is looking forward to beginning the defence of his title when the 2014 World Championship.
The 33-year-old from Sheffield, who claimed his third world crown in front of a partisan home crowd in Manchester last November, goes into the 2014 tournament under the radar having fallen to No.3 in the World Rankings behind Egyptian powerhouse Mohamed Elshorbagy and Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, the man he beat to glory last year. But the ever resilient Matthew, known on tour as ‘The Wolf’, says he is happy to be considered the underdog ahead of the most prestigious tournament in the squash calendar.
“The World Championship is the reason you play,” said Matthew.
“Everything else takes a back seat when you look at the calendar at the start of the year - this is the one that everybody wants.
“Every year you try and peak for the worlds but this year, with the Commonwealth Games and the arrival of our first child, preparation hasn’t been as fine tuned as perhaps last year but in the last few weeks I’ve started to feel that things are coming together.
“There’s no pressure on me though - I’m old enough now to be past the stage where I put unnecessary pressure on myself and I know that you can’t win every tournament.
“I know that if I never win again I can look back and be happy with my career but that said, if I’m in my best form in Doha next week and do myself justice, then I know I can be challenging in the latter stages and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Having made history by becoming the first man to win back-to-back Commonwealth Games Gold Medals in Glasgow this summer, followed shortly after by the birth of his first child, Charlotte, 2014 has been a year to savour for Matthew so far but he knows he will have his work cut out to cap it all off with a fourth World Championship triumph.
Elshorbagy, the Bristol-based Egyptian, has been is sublime form so far this season, winning his last four consecutive tournaments and recording impressive victories over Gaultier in the process, and Matthew says he’s the man everyone else has to beat in the heat of the Middle East.
“Mohamed has been the hunter throughout his career so far but now he’s become the hunted,” he said.
“It’s how you react to that challenge and that position that determines a lot and I remember that when I got to number one for the first time it was quite tough. I think I dealt with it better second time around but to be No.1 at his age is pretty special.
“Doha is also a venue that he enjoys and it’s a pretty difficult place for western player to go to and win because it’s sort of a home venue for the Egyptians - They get a lot of vocal support there and I remember the 2012 final between Ramy (Ashour) and Mohamed was a crazy atmosphere.
“There’s a new glass court though this year and that could change the outcome. Mohamed especially has said before that he would have taken the old court to any tournament in the world as he enjoyed it that much so that could be something that changes the dynamic of the competition. Either way I’m really looking forward to it.”
Matthew will begin his campaign November 15 against a qualifier. Entry to all matches is free-of-charge.
Qualifications will begin on November 13. THE PENINSULA
