World No.1 Amr Shabana of Egypt is expected to head a star-studded eight-man line-up which is likely to feature compatriots Ramy Ashour, the recently crowned World Open Champion, and Karim Darwish, France’s reigning ATCO Super Series Finals Champion Gregory Gaultier and British Open Champion David Palmer of Australia, as well as English players Nick Matthew and James Willstrop.
Promoters of the four-day ATCO Super Series Finals – The Queen’s Club 2009 believe the decision to hold the event at The Queen’s Club, home to the AEGON Championships, the premier pre-Wimbledon grass court tennis championships, is ground-breaking for the game of squash. “Since acquiring the rights to this major event, we have been working very hard at finalising a solid and sustainable commercial platform from which the championships can prosper over the short, medium and long term. Bringing this prestigious event to The Queen’s Club has the potential to take the profile of professional squash on to a new level,” said Ziad Al-Turki, Vice- Chairman of the ATCO Group.
“The Queen’s Club is one of the world’s greatest rackets clubs and many things about it really appealed to us, including its unique heritage, its convenient location, its track record of hosting top quality events and the enthusiastic reception we have received from its members. I am sure that staging the event at The Queen’s Club will help us greatly to further drive the success of the championships,” added the promoter of the Saudi International, the world’s most lucrative men’s event.
Paul Walters, Chief Executive of internationalSPORTgroup, which is jointly promoting the championships with ATCO Group, said: “The Super Series Finals is without question one of the most important events on the men’s World Tour and Ziad and I are delighted to be bringing the championships to The Queen’s Club. The ATCO Super Series Finals – The Queen’s Club 2009 will offer one of the richest prize funds in the sport and a comprehensive programme of TV coverage will ensure that the event is distributed to the largest possible global audience.”
Since concluding a seven-year agreement with the PSA in 2007, the prestigious annual season-ending championships has grown from strength to strength under the joint-stewardship of Ziad Al-Turki and internationalSPORTgroup™, and the 2009 championships will boast a prize fund in excess of $100,000.
Steeped in history and with unrivalled sporting facilities, The Queen’s Club has several elegant rooms and high quality catering to ensure that spectators will enjoy a memorable championship in an historic setting.
Tickets for the ATCO Super Series Finals - The Queen's Club 2009 can be booked online at www.isportgroup.com/ticketing, by telephone on 0844 870 000, or for further information email: info@iSPORTgroup.com