Elshorbagy Tops 2016 Tournament of Champions Draw by Nathan Clarke
photo ToC
December 8, 2015
- Defending champion Mohamed Elshorbagy, the 24-year-old Egyptian who
will regain the World No.1 ranking on January 1st, will top the draw
when the 2016 J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions gets underway on
January 7th for its 19th anniversary of presenting the world’s best
squash players in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall.
The PSA World Series Event, the biggest ToC to date - with equal prize
money in both the Men’s and Women’s events for the first time in its
distinguished history - promises a block-buster beginning to the new
year.
Elshorbagy‘s stuttering start to the 2015-16 season caused him to
relinquish his hold atop the PSA rankings but the 2015 ToC champion
returned to dominant form at last week’s Hong Kong Open, winning the
title to reclaim the No.1 spot. Although the fiercely competitive
Egyptian will be favoured to retain his ToC title he will have to be at
his best to triumph in New York, given the talent-laden draw which
includes World Champion and current World No.1 Gregory Gaultier of
France, England’s three-time World Champion Nick Matthew and the
in-form duo of World Championship runner-up Omar Mosaad and Hong Kong
Open runner-up Cameron Pilley.
Gaultier, who ended nine years of heartbreak when he etched his name
onto the World Championship trophy in November, last won the event in
2009 and will be aiming to begin his year in the best fashion possible,
with a potentially dramatic semi-final encounter with long-time rival
Matthew on the cards. Elshorbagy is seeded to meet countryman Mosaad,
who also finished as runner-up at the U.S. Open, in the top half of the
draw.
Australia’s Cameron Pilley, who shocked the squash world by downing
Gaultier and World No.3 Matthew en-route to the final of the recent
Hong Kong Open, will be eyeing up yet more giant killings stateside
when he begins his event against Tarek Momen of Egypt.
Home-Favourite Todd Harrity is the wildcard for this event and
currently sits at a career-high World No.52 ranking. He is hoping to
ride the wave of confidence engendered by a career best performance at
the recent World Championship in Seattle where he reached the second
round, but the reigning US champion has a tough first round clash with
Egypt’s Fares Dessouki.
The opening round match of number four seed Miguel Angel Rodriguez
against Spain’s Borja Golan promises to be fierce and dramatic
encounter. Both players have struggled for form recently and will be
eager to start the new year in New York with a decisive victory. For
Rodriguez, a long-time ToC fan favorite, it’s a return to the scene
where he stunned Gaultier last year to reach the semi-finals - a
victory that announced his emergence as one of the leading players in
the world.
“The entire metropolitan New York community eagerly awaits the
appearance of the world’s greatest squash players on our spectacular
all glass NetSuite Challenge court in Grand Central,” said Tournament
Promoter John Nimick.
“With record prize money offered in both the Men’s and Women’s events
and parity in the prize money for the first time in the tournament’s
history, the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions is proud to continue
its legacy as a pioneering event that showcases the best of what the
sport has to offer.”
Draw - 2015 J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) v [Qualifier] Cameron Pilley (AUS) v Tarek Momen (EGY) Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v [Qualifier] [Qualifier] v [5] Omar Mosaad (EGY) [7] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v Stephen Coppinger (RSA) Max Lee (HKG) v [Qualifier] Leo Au (HKG) v [Qualifier] Borja Golan (ESP) v [4] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) [3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v [Qualifier] Fares Dessouki (EGY) v [WC] Todd Harrity (USA) James Willstrop (ENG) v Alister Walker (BOT) Tom Richards (ENG) v [6] Simon Rösner (GER) [8] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) v Mazen Hesham (EGY) Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) v [Qualifier] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v Daryl Selby (ENG) [Qualifier] v [2] Nick Matthew (ENG)
Ticket prices range from $8 for early round matches, going up to $170
for the sought-after Men’s and Women’s Finals on the evening of
Thursday, January 14th. Tickets are available online at ToCSquash.com
or by calling (718) 569-0594.
