Prize fund of $390,000 as world’s top stars head back to New York
By SEAN REUTHE – Squash Mad Correspondent
Charismatic Frenchman Gregory Gaultier will end a 15-month absence from the PSA World Tour when the former World No.1 lines up at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, which takes place in New York’s famous Grand Central Terminal for a 23rd year between January 9-17, 2020.
Gaultier has not been seen on the PSA Tour since limping off court in the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open in October 2018 due to a broken bone in his knee, but after a gruelling period of rehabilitation, the 36-year-old will finally make his highly-anticipated return as he competes under the chandeliers of Grand Central Terminal’s picturesque Vanderbilt Hall.
Known on tour as the ‘French General’, Gaultier has reached the Tournament of Champions final on four occasions and lifted the title in 2009. His 2017 semi-final battle with long-term rival Mohamed ElShorbagy has gone down as one of the greatest matches ever seen at Grand Central.
Two-time winner ElShorbagy will also return, as will 2019 men’s champion Ali Farag, who beat ElShorbagy to take the World No.1 ranking off his compatriot. Former champions Karim Abdel Gawad, Simon Rösner and James Willstrop will also feature.
Meanwhile, 2018 runner-up Tarek Momen will make his first PSA appearance since being crowned World Champion in November, and he will be joined in the draw by the man he beat to lift the iconic trophy, New Zealand’s Paul Coll.
There will be three former champions involved in the women’s draw, with reigning champion Nour El Sherbini, 2017 winner Camille Serme and World No.1 Raneem El Welily all looking to add to their title tallies in New York.
El Sherbini downed El Welily last January to become the first woman to win the Tournament of Champions title on three occasions. She will compete amongst a top-class draw that also features United States No.1 and 2016 runner-up Amanda Sobhy, British Open champion Nouran Gohar, 2018 runner-up Nour El Tayeb, New Zealand’s Joelle King and England’s Sarah-Jane Perry.
Darien-based 17-year-old Marina Stefanoni has been named the women’s wildcard, while New York’s Chris Hanson will be the men’s wildcard. The other wildcard spot in the men’s tournament will be decided by a playoff on January 6-7.
A prize fund of $390,000 will be split equally between the men’s and women’s events, while the winners will qualify for June’s PSA World Tour Finals. The PSA World Tour Finals brings together the world’s top eight male and female players and features the reigning World Champions as well as all PSA Platinum title winners.
The other places will be allocated to the highest ranked players on the Road to Egypt Standings, with points on offer at all PSA World Tour events throughout the 2019/20 season.
Tickets for the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions are on sale now and can be purchased at tocsquash.com/tickets
Fixtures from Grand Central Terminal will also be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour.
2020 J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, Grand Central Terminal, New York, USA, January 9-17.
Men’s Entry List:
1) Ali Farag (EGY)
2) Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
3) Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
4) Tarek Momen (EGY)
5) Paul Coll (NZL)
6) Simon Rösner (GER)
7) Diego Elias (PER)
8) Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
9) Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
10) Miguel Rodriguez (COL)
11) Joel Makin (WAL)
12) Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
13) Saurav Ghosal (IND)
14) Zahed Salem (EGY)
15) Gregoire Marche (FRA)
16) Omar Mosaad (EGY)
17) James Willstrop (ENG)
18) Mazen Hesham (EGY)
19) Adrian Waller (ENG)
20) Mostafa Asal (EGY)
21) Daryl Selby (ENG)
22) Leo Au (HKG)
23) Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
24) Cesar Salazar (MEX)
25) Campbell Grayson (NZL)
26) Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
27) Greg Lobban (SCO)
28) Declan James (ENG)
29) Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
30) Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
31) Tom Richards (ENG)
32) Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP)
33) Lucas Serme (FRA)
34) Tsz Fung Yip (HKG)
35) Max Lee (HKG)
36) Youssef Soliman (EGY)
37) Alan Clyne (SCO)
38) Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)
39) Arturo Salazar (MEX)
40) Baptiste Masotti (FRA)
41) Ramit Tandon (IND)
42) Muhammad ElSherbini (EGY)
43) George Parker (ENG)
44) Ivan Yuen (MAS)
45) Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND)
46) Karim El Hammamy (EGY)
Wildcard) TBC
Wildcard) Chris Hanson (USA)
Women’s Entry List:
1) Raneem El Welily (EGY)
2) Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
3) Nouran Gohar (EGY)
4) Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
5) Camille Serme (FRA)
6) Joelle King (NZL)
7) Amanda Sobhy (USA)
8) Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
9) Tesni Evans (WAL)
10) Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
11) Annie Au (HKG)
12) Joshna Chinappa (IND)
13) Alison Waters (ENG)
14) Salma Hany (EGY)
15) Victoria Lust (ENG)
16) Yathreb Adel (EGY)
17) Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
18) Nele Gilis (BEL)
19) Nadine Shahin (EGY)
20) Joey Chan (HKG)
21) Rowan Elaraby (EGY)
22) Tinne Gilis (BEL)
23) Zeina Mickawy (EGY)
24) Low Wee Wern (MAS)
25) Millie Tomlinson (ENG)
26) Rachael Grinham (AUS)
27) Emily Whitlock (ENG)
28) Donna Lobban (AUS)
29) Nada Abbas (EGY)
30) Hollie Naughton (CAN)
31) Mariam Metwally (EGY)
32) Milou van der Heijden (NED)
33) Julianne Courtice (ENG)
34) Melissa Alves (FRA)
35) Coline Aumard (FRA)
36) Danielle Letourneau (CAN)
37) Lisa Aitken (SCO)
38) Mayar Hany (EGY)
39) Olivia Fiechter (USA)
40) Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
41) Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG)
42) Rachel Arnold (MAS)
43) Tze Lok Ho (HKG)
44) Haley Mendez (USA)
45) Lucy Turmel (ENG)
46) Sabrina Sobhy (USA)
47) Jasmine Hutton (ENG)
Wildcard) Marina Stefanoni (USA)
Report by SEAN REUTHE (PSA). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.
Pictures courtesy of PSA and PATRICK LAUSON