15-Mar:
Elshorbagy & Ashour set to meet again in El Gouna

World No.1 Mohamed Elshorbagy will lead a world-class field when the 2016 El Gouna International, the last PSA World Series tournament of the 2015/16 season, begins on Sunday April 24 in Egypt - and is seeded to face defending champion Ramy Ashour in the quarter-final stage in what will be the latest instalment of their fierce rivalry.

Elshorbagy, who succumbed to a 3-2 defeat to fellow Egyptian Ashour in last year’s final, has dominated on the PSA World Tour in recent months, lifting four consecutive World Series titles which has given him a strong lead at the summit of the PSA Road to Dubai Standings.

Ashour, meanwhile, has struggled with the hamstring injury that has dogged the last few years of his career and hasn’t been seen on the PSA World Tour since he limped out of his World Championship clash with Omar Mosaad in November.

Ashour meets a qualifier in round one as he looks to kickstart his aspirations of lifting a fourth successive El Gouna International crown, while Elshorbagy’s opening round fixture against Egyptian maverick Mazen Hesham is the pick of the first round action.

World No.4 Omar Mosaad is seeded to meet Elshorbagy in the semi-final but has a difficult encounter with Cameron Pilley in round one.

On the opposite side of the draw, World Champion Gregory Gaultier and World No.3 Nick Matthew are seeded to meet in the last four,

[Update 04-Apr - Matthew withdraws, Ashour now at#4 in bottom half]

while the likes of Egyptian trio Tarek Momen, Karim Abdel Gawad and Marwan Elshorbagy will be standing in their way in a draw that is full to the brim with outstanding talent.

"The El Gouna International has firmly established itself as one of the most exciting and awe-inspiring tournaments on the PSA World Tour calendar," said Tournament Promoter Amr Mansi.

"An abundance of talent, including 19 of the world’s top 20 players, is set to engage in some unforgettable matches across six days of truly world-class action as the event, now entering its fifth year, continues to go from strength-to-strength."

The Full Draw