Strong Asian influence in two $50k events running side by side
By ELLIE MAWSON
Peru’s World No.9 Diego Elias has been seeded to face India’s World No.12 Saurav Ghosal in the final of the 2019 Macau Open after the main draws for the PSA World Tour Gold tournament were released.
The pair will lock horns in the final at the Tap Seac Square, if they can make it through a high-quality draw which will battle it out in Macau, China, between April 10-14.
Elias is one of eight seeds who receive a bye into the second round. He will come up against tough competition in his side of the draw from the likes of 2018 winner Hong Kong’s Tsz Fung Yip, who he is seeded to meet in the semi-finals, and Yip’s compatriots Max Lee and Leo Au.
Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the draw, Ghosal could face Egypt’s former World No.3 and last year’s runner-up Omar Mosaad for a place in the final. Scotland’s Greg Lobban and Malaysia’s Nafiizwan Adnan are also seeded on his side of the draw.
The wildcard spots in the men’s draw are occupied by Macau’s Manuel Gassmann and Hong Kong’s Tsz Kwan Lau, who will face Malaysia’s Ivan Yuen and Spain’s Edmon Lopez in round one, respectively.
Hong Kong’s World No.11 Annie Au, who reached the semi-finals at last year’s tournament, tops the women’s draw and is seeded to meet Egypt’s World No.12 Salma Hany in the title decider.
India’s World No.16 Joshna Chinappa is set to face Au in the last four, while Hany, who finished runner-up at last year’s tournament to compatriot Nouran Gohar, could come up against Hong Kong’s World No.18 Joey Chan in the semi-finals as she looks to do one better this year.
Meanwhile, the wildcard spots are taken up by Macau’s Liu Kwai Chi and Hong Kong’s Chan Sin Yuk, who will face Japan’s Satomi Watanabe and New Zealand’s Amanda Landers-Murphy, respectively, in round one.
Both the men’s and women’s draws will be contested by 24 players, while a prize purse of $100,000 will be split equally between the male and female players.
Tickets for round one up until the quarter-finals are free, with seating at the Macau Bowling Centre. Semi-finals and finals tickets at the all-glass court at the Tap Seac Square are limited seating and will be on a first come, first served basis. For more information regarding tickets, please contact: [email protected]
Macau Open, Macau Bowling Centre and Tap Seac Square, April 10-14, 2019.
Men’s Main Draw:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) [Bye]
[WC] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) v [9/16] Edmon Lopez (ESP)
[9/16] Ivan Yuen (MAS) v [WC] Manuel Gassmann (MAC)
[5] Max Lee (HKG) [Bye]
[7] Leo Au (HKG) [Bye]
Auguste Dussourd (FRA) v [9/16] Peter Creed (WAL)
[9/16] Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY) v Shahjahan Khan (PAK)
[4] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) [Bye]
[3] Omar Mosaad (EGY) [Bye]
Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) v [9/16] Mazen Gamal (EGY)
[9/16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v Victor Crouin (FRA)
[8] Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) [Bye]
[6] Greg Lobban (SCO) [Bye]
Henry Leung (HKG) v [9/16] Baptiste Masotti (FRA)
[9/16] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) v Bernat Jaume (ESP)
[2] Saurav Ghosal (IND) [Bye]
Women’s Main Draw:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) [Bye]
[WC] Liu Kwai Chi (MAC) v [9/16] Satomi Watanabe (JPN)
[9/16] Vanessa Chu (HKG) v Sunayna Kuruvilla (IND)
[7] Samantha Cornett (CAN) [Bye]
[5] Mayar Hany (EGY) [Bye]
Lee Ka Yi (HKG) v [9/16] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG)
[9/16] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) v [WC] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG)
[3] Joshna Chinappa (IND) [Bye]
[4] Joey Chan (HKG) [Bye]
Salma Youssef (EGY) v [9/16] Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG)
[9/16] Rachel Arnold (MAS) v Rachael Chadwick (ENG)
[6] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) [Bye]
[8] Nadine Shahin (EGY) [Bye]
Jessica Turnbull (AUS) v [9/16] Ho Tze-Lok (HKG)
[9/16] Low Wee Wern (MAS) v Sarah Cardwell (AUS)
[2] Salma Hany (EGY) [Bye]
Pictures courtesy of PSA