Super Series Finals Returns To London in 2008

The ATCO Super Series Finals squash championships will bring together the top eight qualifiers from the annual PSA Super Series World Tour and will return to the Broadgate Arena in the heart of London's Square Mile from 19-23 May.

Ramy Ashour, the 20-year-old Egyptian who won the title on his debut in 2007, is seeded to reach the final for the second year in a row. Ashour has been close to ruling the squash world for almost a year - and was almost there after winning the event in Manchester last year.

However, injury denied him the chance of following his Super Series Finals triumph by winning either the British Open or World Open titles. But Ramy Ashour is fighting fit again - as evidenced by his stunning victory in the Tournament of Champions in New York last month, the first Super Series event of 2008.

But Amr Shabana is top seed in the 2008 Finals. Ashour's absence led to his elder compatriot's career-best run at the end of 2007, in which Shabana won four major World Tour events in a row and his third World Open. Now the effect of Ashour's presence upon the man who was world No1 all year should be fascinating to see.

Also in the 2008 draw are Gregory Gaultier, the world No3 from France; 2002 champion David Palmer, the world No4 from Australia; Englishmen Nick Matthew and James Willstrop, ranked five and six, respectively; France's 2004 champion Thierry Lincou, the world No7; and Egyptian Wael El Hindi, the world No9 who is making his debut in the event.

The Super Series Finals bring together the top eight qualifiers from the annual PSA Super Series Tour to compete in a week-long event. The tournament boasts one of the richest prize funds in the sport and TV highlights are distributed to a large global audience. First staged in Switzerland in 1992, the event first moved to the unique location of Broadgate Arena in the heart of London's Square Mile in 1999.

The event was staged in Manchester for the first time in August last year within weeks of Ziad Al-Turki and Paul Walters signing a seven-year agreement with the Professional Squash Association to promote the event.

"London has been chosen for its significance in helping the event to attract significant commercial partners, combined with additional marketing, PR and promotional opportunities - which would obviously help drive the success of the championships at all levels," said joint promoters Ziad Al-Turki, Vice-President of the ATCO Group, and Paul Walters, founder of the internationalSPORTgroup.

"Furthermore, VisitLondon have shown a great deal of interest in bringing the event back to London."

PSA Chief Executive Gawain Briars added: "The return of the Super Series Finals to London is a natural fit. Ziad Al Turki and Paul Walters are demonstrating their forward vision in bringing the event back to the English capital, whose squash market will soak up the dynamic match play of this pinnacle eight-man event of the PSA world tour.

"In particular, the Broadgate Arena - which has hosted so many spectacular finals - will resume its historic relationship with the tournament and bring the world's best players back to the heart of one of the world's leading financial centres. The fans here are tried and tested and love watching top class squash."

2008 event seeds:

[1] Amr Shabana (EGY)
[2] Ramy Ashour (EGY)
[3] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
[4] David Palmer (AUS)
[5] Nick Matthew (ENG)
[6] James Willstrop (ENG)
[7] Thierry Lincou (FRA)
[8] Wael El Hindi (EGY)