World champion targets British Open return
By Alan Thatcher, Squash Mad Editor
France’s 2015 World Champion Gregory Gaultier has withdrawn from this month’s Windy City Open presented by Guggenheim Partners and Equitrust Life Insurance Company after failing to recover from an ankle injury sustained during January’s J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions.
The 33-year-old Frenchman had hoped to compete at the second PSA World Series tournament of 2016 but has not been able to make a return to full fitness. He is now planning a return to action at the British Open in Hull in late March.
He will now be replaced in the main draw of the Windy City Open, which gets under way at the University Club of Chicago on February 25, by Egyptian national champion Mohamed Abouelghar.
Abouelghar will take on a yet-to-be-determined qualifier in the first round, while Karim Abdel Gawad, the Swedish Open champion, has moved up the draw to occupy the number eight seed and will also face a qualifier on day one.
Gaultier may be out of action, but he showed his love for the sport by joining up to a live video feed to a squash camp organised in St Petersburg, Russia, by Australian coach Brad Hindle.
Hindle told Squash Mad: “Greg happily chatted to all the children and told them about all the hard work that goes into making a champion. The kids were absolutely enthralled by the opportunity to speak to a world champion.”
Gaultier thanked well-wishers and told his followers on Facebook: “Disappointed to have pulled out of the Swedish Open and now again forced to take my name out of the Chicago Windy City open which will be end of February due to my ankle injury done during TOC.
“I would not be ready yet to compete as I am still in the healing process. Tough start of 2016, not expected at all…
“I should be next playing in March for the British Open. For now it’s time to watch the other players on the Eurosport player.”
2016 Windy City Open – Revised Main Draw:
[1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v Max Lee (HKG)
[Qualifier] v [6] Simon Rösner (GER)
[8] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Tom Richards (ENG) v [Qualifier]
Chris Simpson (ENG) v [4] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
[3] Omar Mosaad (EGY) v James Willstrop (ENG)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) v [Qualifier]
Daryl Selby (ENG) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
Ali Farag (EGY) v [5] Ramy Ashour (EGY)
[7] Tarek Momen (EGY) v Mazen Hesham (EGY)
Fares Dessouki (EGY) v [Qualifier]
Borja Golan (ESP) v Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
[WC] Chris Hanson (USA) v [2] Nick Matthew (ENG)
With places at the season-ending PSA Dubai World Series Finals still also to play for the Windy City Open promises to deliver another enthralling instalment of World Series action, all of which will be available to watch live and exclusive on SQUASHTV and Eurosport Player.
Tickets for the 2016 Windy City Open presented by Guggenheim Partners and EquiTrust Life Insurance Company starting at just $20 and can be purchased at http://www.windycityopen.com
For more tournament updates and behind the scenes action follow Windy City Open on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and please use our official tournament hashtag #WCOsquash
Pictures courtesy of PSA and from social media