The action promises to be fast and furious as the world's top professional squash players kick off the new year contending for the sport's first Professional Squash Association World Series title of 2011, the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions, from 21-27 January in Grand Central Terminal in New York.
The field is flush with heavyweight contenders - three returning title-holders and the reigning world champion are the top seeds. Favourite Ramy Ashour, the world No2 from Egypt, and Nick Matthew, the world No1 from England, are expected to contest the final.
Ashour won the Tournament of Champions title in 2008 and topped the world rankings for nine months in 2010. A World Open Champion at the age of 20, the dynamic 23-year-old from Cairo was toppled from the top of the rankings at the start of 2011 by second seed Matthew, the reigning World Open champion.
After losing to Ashour in the semi-finals of the 2010 Tournament of Champions, Matthew hit a hot streak for the ensuing six months when he was undefeated in tournament play. He also claimed double gold in this summer's Commonwealth Games.
Eager to defend his crown, third seed and defending JP Morgan Tournament of Champions title-holder James Willstrop will be looking to reclaim his winning ways. After beating Ashour in the 2010 final, the Englishman was unable to wrest victory again in his four subsequent encounters with Ashour or in six encounters with fellow Englishman Matthew.
Rounding out the top four is 2006 and 2007 ToC title-holder and former world number one Amr Shabana. The charismatic Egyptian is coming into the championship having defeated Ashour last week in the ATCO PSA World Series Finals semi-finals.
The largest spectator squash event in the world, the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions field includes players from 19 countries. The US will be represented by Julian Illingworth, the highest ranking US player ever in the world rankings. Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema, who cracked the top ten for the first time in 2010, is seeded sixth.
The youngest competitor, two-time World Junior champion Mohamed El Shorbagy, who turned 20 just a week ago, comes in as the number seven seed. Seeded just below El Shorbagy is the oldest player in the draw, 34-year-old Australian David Palmer, a top ten player for an entire decade.
The JP Morgan Tournament of Champions offers $115,000 in prize money - placing it among the world's top ten professional tournaments - and features a 32-player main draw and a 32-player qualification tournament. The event is sanctioned by the PSA, the regulatory body for elite international men's competition and the men's world rankings. The semi-finals and finals will be broadcast live on www.espn3.com
1st round draw:
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v Olli Tuominen (FIN)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) v Stewart Boswell (AUS)
Ong Beng Hee (MAS) v Qualifier
[8] David Palmer (AUS) v Julian Illingworth (USA)
[7] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) v Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS)
Shahier Razik (CAN) v Qualifier
Qualifier v Qualifier
[3] James Willstrop (ENG) v Jonathan Kemp (ENG)
[4] Amr Shabana (EGY) v Qualifier
Daryl Selby (ENG) v Qualifier
Adrian Grant (ENG) v Qualifier
[6] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) v Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
[5] Peter Barker (ENG) v Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY)
Cameron Pilley (AUS) v Qualifier
Wael El Hindi (EGY) v Alister Walker (ENG)
[2] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Omar Mosaad (EGY)
Official website: www.tocsquash.com
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Watch all the live action and highlights at www.psasquashtv.com