Mohamed ElShorbagy is the new number one seed at the men's PSA World Championship ©Getty Images

The absence of world number one Ali Farag from the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Men's World Championship in Doha means the coveted prize is very much up for grabs.

Starting tomorrow, Farag will be absent from the event in Qatar due to family reasons – he’s already qualified for the World Tour Finals following victory at the US Open and leads the Road to Egypt Standings.

Closely behind him is world number two and current world champion Mohamed ElShorbagy of Egypt.

He’s been in great form this season, having reached the final of all three events he has entered – lifting both the China Open and Oracle NetSuite Open titles.

First up for Elshorbagy is up-and-coming French star Victor Crouin at the glass court of the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.

Fellow Egyptian Tarek Momen is now seeded second, but faces a tricky opening tie against Germany's Raphael Kendra.

It's an ideal opportunity for Tarek Momen to make his class tell ©Getty Images
It's an ideal opportunity for Tarek Momen to make his class tell ©Getty Images

Momen will be desperate to enter the winner’s circle, having lost to ElShorbagy in the final of the Oracle NetSuite Open and the semi-finals of the US Open.

Another former world champion, Karim Abdel Gawad, is up against Frenchman Auguste Dussourd in the first round, who qualified after winning the Aspin Cup in September.

Abdel Gawad is in a rich reign of form, having won the World Tour Finals in June and his home Egyptian Open last week.  

A total prize fund of $335,000 (£200,000/€230,000) is on offer, with the winner also qualifying for the season-ending PSA World Tour Finals.

The tournament concludes next Friday (November 15).