LONDON: Ramy Ashour hopes to have recovered well enough from injury to atone for the theft of his world title dream by Nick Matthew when the 2010 tour’s leading players begin the PSA World Series finals at Queens Club on Tuesday.
The charismatic Egyptian called it the biggest disappointment of his career when forced to retire with a hamstring problem in the middle of the World Open in Saudi Arabia last month, opening an easier route for the Englishman to take the title.
"I felt awful, but my recovery has been going okay," said Ashour, who has since also lost his world number one ranking to the in-form Matthew, who captured two Commonwealth Games gold medals in October and also holds the British Open title.
The chances of these two meeting in the World Series final have been increased by the withdrawal of Gregory Gaultier, the titleholder of the men’s tour’s flagship event, and Karim Darwish, another former world number one from Egypt.
Remarkably Gaultier and Darwish also suffered hamstring injuries during a blighted World Open, but unlike Ashour have not been able to recover in time. Gaultier will be sidelined until next month.
Ashour’s desire to do well has been increased by the fact that the sponsor and promoter of the World Series finals is Ziad Al-Turku, the Saudi businessman who also sponsors him.
Al-Turki, the billionaire Vice President of ATCO, which provides services for the oil and gas industry, was linked with the purchasing of Manchester City in 2009, and is now promising a new era for squash with the re-branding of this event.
"I am investing my time and money into something I am passionate about and with these finals we hope to announce a new era for the popularity of the sport. It will definitely help to put squash back on to the sporting map," Al-Turki claimed.
Another major contender at the landmark event at the famous 125-year-old club in Kensington should be Amr Shabana, the four-time former World Open champion whom some regard as the finest player of the modern era.
The rest of the field comprises Thierry Lincou, the former world champion from France, James Willstrop, the world number four from England, Peter Barker, the world number eight from England, Wael El Hindi, the world number 13 from Egypt, and Alister Walker, the world number 20 from England.
