Egyptian ace will come out firing at the PSA World Series Finals as he aims to strike it rich in Richmond
By ALAN THATCHER
Egyptian ace Tarek Momen is looking forward to mixing it with the big boys as he prepares for his first appearance in the PSA World Series Finals.
He will certainly feel at home. In the group stages Momen will be up against compatriots Ramy Ashour and Mohamed Elshorbagy, the world No.3 and No.4, plus England’s world No.5 James Willstrop.
The early matches are played in a best-of-three games format, which gives him the chance to spring some shock results if the senior players fail to make a strong start. However, Momen admits to being a slow starter himself so he will need to
Momen, 26, says he is relishing the opportunity of taking part in the Power Courts World Series Finals at the Westwood Club in Richmond, Virginia.
Momen said: “I’m very excited to play my first World Series Finals. It was a goal that I set in my mind at the beginning of 2013.
“I wanted to play all the World Series events and do well to make the cut, and I’m so glad I did eventually.
“The World Series Finals has its own unique atmosphere and I’m guessing it has to do with the players feeling more relaxed and more willing to entertain the audience.
“They’re not playing for ranking points, which relieves them from an immense amount of pressure and helps them bring out the best they’ve got, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
“To be selected among such a distinguished group of players is a great honor for me and it’s like a childhood dream come true. I hope I can bring out my A-game to rise up to the occasion.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how well I can play against these top players in a best of three format.
“I’m sure it’ll be more challenging for me as I’m quite the slow starter so I’ll need to come out firing from the very first point on Saturday and we’ll see how it goes.”
The Power Courts World Series Finals takes place at the Westwood Club in Richmond, Virginia from March 15-19. Tickets for the event can be purchased via the official website at http://www.worldseriesfinals.com/index.html
Picture from the Squash Mad archive