World's Richest Event Attracts Would-Be Qualifiers To Surrey

Players hoping to qualify for the richest squash event of the year in Saudi Arabia in October will arrive in England tomorrow for the two-day qualifying competition at the St George's Hill Club in the Surrey town of Weybridge.

Organisers of the Saudi International recently raised the prize-fund of the 2007 event to $210,000 - making the Super Series Platinum event the richest of the year on the PSA Tour.

Hisham Ashour, the world No25 from Egypt, heads the high-quality field looking to secure one of the eight qualifying places in the Saudi International, which will be staged in coastal town of Al Khobar from 23-28 October.

Hisham, who reached the second round of the 2006 event as a qualifier, will be hoping to join his illustrious younger brother Ramy Ashour, the 19-year-old world No2, in the 2007 event.

Players joining Hisham Ashour in Weybridge will include Englishmen Alister Walker, Joey Barrington, Jonathan Kemp, Daryl Selby, Stacey Ross, Scott Handley, Chris Simpson, Chris Ryder and Jonathan Harford; Frenchman Renan Lavigne; Italian Davide Bianchetti; Egyptian Omar Mosaad; Dutchman Dylan Bennett; Australian Aaron Frankcomb; and Jan Koukal, from the Czech Republic.

"Play starts at 1.00pm on both days - spectators are most welcome," said St George's Hill Head Coach Danny Lee.