French ace wants to make it fifth time lucky in Qatar
By NATHAN CLARKE – Squash Mad PSA Correspondent
French World No.2 Gregory Gaultier, the four-time World Championship runner-up, says he is preparing harder than ever before to end his Championship hoodoo ahead of the 2014 Qatar PSA World Championship which gets underway in Doha on Friday November 14.
Gaultier, who held the World No.1 ranking for eights months in 2014, lost an agonising final against Nick Matthew in England last year and he’s hoping that a change in approach to the competition will pay dividends when the world’s top players converge in the heat of the Middle East.
“I am really looking forward to the tournament,” said Gaultier. “My training has been going well recently and I am trying to peak for the event.
“I chose to play less tournaments during the last few months compared to how many I played at the same time last year and that was all so that I can go into the World Championship as fresh as possible.
“I have a lost a few World Championship finals in the past but that gives me extra motivation to try and get that trophy in my hands because winning the Worlds would be a dream come true.”
Gaultier lost his World No.1 ranking to Egyptian Mohamed Elshorbagy, who won the 2013 Qatar Classic in Doha, in the November rankings but despite losing to the Bristol-based 23-year-old in consecutive PSA World Series tournaments, in Hong Kong and Philadelphia, Gaultier says his focus is not on the younger man.
“Mohamed is in good form and he is maybe the man to beat but there are other players who will be going there who will be very dangerous,” he said.
“There will be a lot of players who have prepared specifically for that event and while the crowd might favour and encourage the Egyptians more than the other players in Doha, I remember when I won there a few years ago the public were on my side as well so I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
The 2014 Qatar PSA World Championship takes place at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex, Doha, Qatar from Friday November 14 – Friday November 21 with the main draw action to be shown live on SquashTV: www.psasquashtv.com
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