‘I tend so start well so the format suits me’
By ELLIE MAWSON
World No.11 Simon Rösner says he is delighted to have qualified for the 2016/17 PSA Dubai World Series Finals where he will compete against the top eight players on the PSA World Tour at Dubai Opera between June 6-10.
Rösner secured seventh place on the PSA Road To Dubai Standings – ahead of former tournament winner Ramy Ashour – courtesy of a quarter-final finish at the El Gouna International and the 29-year-old said he is looking forward to his fourth appearance at the season-ending event.
“I’m amazingly happy to have qualified again,” said Rösner. “To qualify for that stage again is a huge achievement for me. Before El Gouna it was close between three or four players including myself, so to get to the quarters there and secure my place was very pleasing.
“I’ve played there three or four times before so the pressure of making it isn’t there and the nerves of the first time won’t be there this year, but it’s still a huge achievement and an honour to be competing with the best eight players.”
With 10 current and former World No.1s set to feature across both the Men’s and Women’s draws this year’s World Series Finals is set to be one of the most competitive yet. And, with a best-of-three format in use throughout the group stages, Rösner knows he will have to be at his best from day one.
“With it being best of three you don’t have much time to get into the match or into the rhythm – you have to be ready from the first point and that makes it pretty special,” said the Paderborn-based Rösner.
“I think that’s good for me because I tend to start quite well. There is a different mental challenge because of that though so my game won’t change but I will have to work on the mental approach to be ready from the very first second.”
This year’s event will be the first sporting event to ever be held inside the iconic Dubai Opera and the German is looking forward to playing squash there.
“The venue looks pretty stunning and it’s exciting to be playing there,” he said.
“Squash can take place in amazing venues and Dubai Opera is another amazing location to add to the list – it’s a privilege to be able to go and compete there.”
The PSA Dubai World Series Finals takes place from June 6-10, 2017 with the tournament match schedule to be announced on Monday June 5. All of the action will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world) and Eurosport Player (Europe only).
Group stage matches will take place at 3:00pm, 3:45pm, 16:45pm and 17:30pm (Group A) and 21:30pm, 22:15pm, 23:15pm and 00:00am (Group B) between June 6-8 with the semi-finals due to take place from 22:00pm on June 9. The finals will commence at 22:00pm local time on June 10.
Tickets for the World Series Finals can be purchased at https://dubaiopera.etixdubai.com/shows/show.aspx?sh=PSAUMB
Pictures courtesy of PSA