Stars head for Cincinatti
By ELLIE MAWSON – Squash Mad Correspondent
USA’s World No.8 Amanda Sobhy and England’s World No.7 Sarah-Jane Perry have been drawn to meet each other in the final of the Gaynor Cup after the main draw for the PSA World Tour Bronze event was released today.
The event, which is now in its fourth edition and has seen total prize money grow to $51,250, will take place between February 20-24 in Cincinnati with Sobhy headlining the draw on home turf.
The top eight seeds all receive a bye into the second round, where the American No.1 will face either Canada’s Nicole Bunyan or Latvia’s Ineta Mackevica.
Seeded in the top half of the draw along with Sobhy are Egypt’s World No.10 and last season’s champion Hania El Hammamy, Belgium’s World No.18 Nele Gilis and Egypt’s World No.20 Rowan Elaraby.
At the opposite end of the draw is English No.1 Perry, who will come up against either Egypt’s Mayar Hany or Australia’s Sarah Cardwell in round two.
Standing in her way to the final are Egypt’s World No.13 Salma Hany, USA’s World No.17 Olivia Blatchford Clyne and Belgium’s World No.21 Tinne Gilis.
Blatchford Clyne is the other home player in action and she also receives a bye into the second round, where she will face either Egypt’s Salma Youssef or Malaysia’s Low Wee Wern for a place in the quarter finals.
PSA Bronze $51,250 Gaynor Cup, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, February 20-24.
First Round Draw:
[1] Amanda Sobhy (USA) [Bye]
Nicole Bunyan (CAN) v Ineta Mackevica (LAT)
Menna Nasser (EGY) v Jessica Turnbull (AUS)
[6] Nele Gilis (BEL) [Bye]
[7] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) [Bye]
Sunayna Kuruvilla (IND) v Nada Abbas (EGY)
Emilia Soini (FIN) v [WC] Weenee Low (MAS)
[3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) [Bye]
[4] Salma Hany (EGY) [Bye]
Nikki Todd (CAN) v Jasmine Hutton (ENG)
Enora Villard (FRA) v Cindy Merlo (SUI)
[8] Tinne Gilis (BEL) [Bye]
[5] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA) [Bye]
Salma Youssef (EGY) v Low Wee Wern (MAS)
Mayar Hany (EGY) v Sarah Cardwell (AUS)
[2] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) [Bye]
Picture courtesy of PSA