Dubai: There will be no easy run to PSA Dubai World Series Finals as a top-flight field prepare to battle for one of the most lucrative and significant titles in world squash.

While the world number one players Mohammad Elshorbagy and Nour El Sherbini will start the event as odds-on favourites, the women’s field in particular is littered with potential champions, all just a few games away from making history.

El Sherbini will not only face a challenge from three of the world’s best players — eight-time world champion and one of the greatest squash players in history, the legendary Nicol David; former world champion and world number one Laura Massaro; and fellow Egyptian and former world number one Raneem El Welily — but will also have to contend with threats from countrywomen and current and former world junior champions Nouran Gohar and Omneya Abdel Kawy, along with France’s number one player Camille Serme and USA’s first ever competitor in the PSA World Series Finals, Amanda Sobhy, all of whom are geared up to make their mark in Dubai.

The current world junior champion, Nouran Gohar, at just 18, has established herself as a genuine top eight player on the PSA World Tour, having reached finals at major tournaments including the prestigious British Open and claiming some significant scalps recently. Most notably she posted stunning quarter final victories over Nicol David in the China Open in 2015 and Laura Massaro in the Tournament of Champions in January 2016. Her brilliant performances pushed her into the world’s top 10 in October 2015, aged just 17. Gohar also made it to the semi-finals of the World Championships in April 2016, going down to the eventual winner Nour El Sherbini. Now ranked sixth in the world, Gohar is a genuine threat for the title.

Gohar’s countrywoman and former world junior champion Omneya Abdel Kawy meanwhile, has been a regular member of the women’s world top 10 for well over a decade and at 30, is still a force to be reckoned with. Kawy’s consistency saw her make it to three quarter-finals and three semi-finals in the six World Series qualifying events this year, and to the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Championships.

Also in the hunt for the title in Dubai is the most successful Frenchwoman in squash history, Camille Serme. Serme has ranked among the top five for three years and enjoyed her major breakthrough when she made history by defeating Laura Massaro winning the 2015 British Open — the first Frenchwoman ever to do so.

Serme also made three quarter finals and three semi-final appearances in World Series events this year, recording quarter final victories over Nour El Sherbini in the US Open, Laura Massaro in the British Open and Amanda Sobhy in the Windy City Open, before making it to the quarter finals of the Women’s World Championships in April, going down to Nouran Gohar in five games.

And for the first time in history, USA will have a player in the PSA World Series Finals after Amanda Sobhy’s three quarter-finals appearances and her trip to the finals in the Tournament of Champions in January this year were enough for her to make the cut. Sobhy’s run to the finals at the Tournament of Champions saw her defeat Raneem El Welily and Nouran Gohar before going down in four games to Nour El Sherbini.

At 22, the Harvard graduate is the highest ranked American squash player of all time and was named the PSA Young Player of the Year in 2015.

“I’m very excited to have qualified for the World Series Finals in Dubai,” said Sobhy.

“I remember watching the last World Series finals on TV and thinking how cool it was, so it’s a really awesome feeling to be playing in it now and just looking at the pictures of the court set up was giving me goosebumps. I think it will be a great event to end the season with.”

The round robin draw for the first three days of competition has been released and with the incredible line ups in both the men’s and women’s events, spectators are guaranteed thrilling action every day as the players vie for a place in the semi-finals and a chance to claim the prize purse of $160,000 (Dh587,680) on offer in both the men’s and women’s tournaments.

The action will commence on Tuesday May 24 at 2pm, with eight best-of-three matches on each of the first three days, with every player playing once each day.

Tickets are still available for the first three days of competition and are on sale now through Ticketmaster: https://www.ticketmasteruae.ae/etkinlik-grup/699890/ALL/en. Tickets start at Dh25 per session for general entry.