Gaultier to Make PSA Comeback Against Mosaad at J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions

Former World No.1 Gregory Gaultier will take on Egypt’s Omar Mosaad in a repeat of the 2015 PSA Men’s World Championship final when the Frenchman makes his first PSA appearance for 15 months as he lines up at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions between January 9-17, 2020.

Gaultier finally got his hands on the World Championship crown at the fifth attempt after battling past former World No.3 Mosaad in the title decider in Bellevue four years ago, and the pair will lock horns once again on US soil, with Grand Central Terminal’s stunning Vanderbilt Hall the setting for their latest bout.

36-year-old Gaultier hasn’t competed on the PSA Tour since October 2018 due to a knee injury, but he will make his highly-anticipated return at the first PSA Platinum event of the new year, where both he and Mosaad receive a bye into round two.

Elsewhere, current World Champion Tarek Momen faces a tricky second round tie as he competes with World Championship semi-finalist Marwan ElShorbagy, while the last 32 also pits Peru’s Diego Elias, now at a career-best World No. 7, up against World No.12 Joel Makin in a dazzling early round fixture.

Defending champion and World No.1 Ali Farag also receives a bye into round two, where he will play either compatriot Mazen Hesham or Scotland’s Alan Clyne, while 2019 runner-up Mohamed ElShorbagy begins his title challenge against either Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly or the winner of the wildcard playoff, which takes place between January 6-7.

In the women’s event, reigning World Champion Nour El Sherbini will launch her attempt to win a record-tying fourth Tournament of Champions title against either Dutchwoman Milou van der Heijden or Scotland’s Lisa Aitken. Canadian Jonathon Power is the only player to have won four ToC titles since the event’s name change and transition to the PSA World Tour in 1992.

El Sherbini is seeded to face World No.9 Tesni Evans, World No.8 Sarah-Jane Perry and World No.4 Nour El Tayeb en route to the final, where she is predicted to meet World No.1 Raneem El Welily in a repeat of last year’s title decider.

2015 winner El Welily begins her tournament against either France’s Coline Aumard or Canada’s Hollie Naughton in round two. She is likely to face players such as Hong Kong’s Annie Au, 2017 champion Camille Serme or World No.3 Nouran Gohar as she aims to reach a third Tournament of Champions final.

A record $390,000 prize purse will be split equally between the men’s and women’s divisions at this year’s “ToC”, as the tournament is commonly referred to, while a spot at June’s PSA World Tour Finals will also be up for grabs. The World Tour Finals brings together the world’s top eight male and female players and features the reigning World Champions as well as all PSA Platinum title winners.

The other places will be allocated to the highest ranked players on the Road to Egypt Standings, with points on offer at all PSA World Tour events throughout the 2019/20 season.

Tickets for the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions are on sale now and can be purchased at tocsquash.com/tickets.

Fixtures from Grand Central Terminal will also be broadcast live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour.

Men’s Draw – 2020 J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) [bye]
Alan Clyne (SCO) v [17/32] Mazen Hesham (EGY)
[17/32] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v Youssef Soliman (EGY)
Baptiste Masotti (FRA) v [17/32] Adrian Waller (ENG)
[17/32] Tom Richards (ENG) v Karim El Hammamy (EGY)
Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) v [17/32] Leo Au (HKG)
[17/32] Daryl Selby (ENG) v Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)
[5] Paul Coll (NZL) [bye]
[8] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) [bye]
Ramit Tandon (IND) v [17/32] Mostafa Asal (EGY)
[9/16] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) [bye]
[9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) [bye]
[17/32] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v George Parker (ENG)
Arturo Salazar (MEX) v [17/32] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
[9/16] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]
[4] Tarek Momen (EGY) [bye]
[3] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) [bye]
Ivan Yuen (MAS) v [17/32] Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP)
[17/32] James Willstrop (ENG) v Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND)
Muhammad ElSherbini (EGY) v [17/32] Declan James (ENG)
[17/32] Cesar Salazar (MEX) v [WC] Chris Hanson (USA)
[9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) [bye]
[17/32] Campbell Grayson (NZL) v Lucas Serme (FRA)
[6] Simon Rösner (GER) [bye]
[7] Diego Elias (PER) [bye]
[9/16] Joel Makin (WAL) [bye]
[9/16] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) [bye]
Max Lee (HKG) v [17/32] Greg Lobban (SCO)
[9/16) Zahed Salem (EGY) [bye]
[9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA) [bye]
[17/32] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) v [Wildcard Play Off Winner]
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]

Women’s Draw – 2020 J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) [bye]
Coline Aumard (FRA) v [17/32] Hollie Naughton (CAN)
[17/32] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) v [WC] Marina Stefanoni (USA)
[11] Annie Au (HKG) [bye]
[16] Yathreb Adel (EGY) [bye]
Melissa Alves (FRA) v [17/32] Zeina Mickawy (EGY)
[17/32] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) v Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG)
[5] Camille Serme (FRA) [bye]
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) [bye]
Tze Lok Ho (HKG) v [17/32] Emily Whitlock (ENG)
[17/32] Nada Abbas (EGY) v Rachel Arnold (MAS)
[13] Alison Waters (ENG) [bye]
[10] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) [bye]
Danielle Letourneau (CAN) v [17/32] Mariam Metwally (EGY)
[17/32] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
[3] Nouran Gohar (EGY) [bye]
[4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) [bye]
Lucy Turmel (ENG) v [17/32] Donna Lobban (AUS)
[17/32] Nadine Shahin (EGY) v Mayar Hany (EGY)
[14] Salma Hany (EGY) [bye]
[12] Joshna Chinappa (IND) [bye]
Haley Mendez (USA) v [17/32] Tinne Gilis (BEL)
[17/32] Low Wee Wern (MAS) v Julianne Courtice (ENG)
[6] Joelle King (NZL) [bye]
[8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) [bye]
Olivia Fiechter (USA) v [17/32] Nele Gilis (BEL)
[17/32] Joey Chan (HKG) v Sabrina Sobhy (USA)
[15] Victoria Lust (ENG) [bye]
[9] Tesni Evans (WAL) [bye]
Jasmine Hutton (USA) v [17/32] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
[17/32] Milou van der Heijden (NED) v Lisa Aitken (SCO)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) [bye]