By ALAN THATCHER (Squash Mad Editor)
The draws for the MARIGOLD Singapore Squash Open have been released, with world No.1 Paul Coll and Oracle NetSuite Open winner Amanda Sobhy the top seeds for this PSA World Tour Gold level competition.
The tournament, which will take place from November 15-20 at the OCBC Arena in Singapore, will be the biggest ever squash event to be hosted in the Asian nation, with 15 top 10 players across the men’s and women’s events taking part.
Coll, who took the world No.1 spot for a second time on Monday, October 3, will face either Malaysia’s Eain Yow Ng or Indian No.1 Saurav Ghosal in the second round before a potential meeting with Welshman Joel Makin in the last eight.
The Kiwi could then face 2019 world champion Tarek Momen or world No.3 Mostafa Asal in the semi-finals, before yet another meeting with world No.2 Ali Farag in the final, with the pair seeded to go all the way to the finale of the competition.
Farag could come up against old foe Mohamed ElShorbagy, who has already claimed the QTerminals Qatar Classic and Oracle NetSuite Open titles this season, in the quarter finals. A potential meeting with Peru’s Diego Elias, the world No.4, awaits in the semis.
US No.1 and world No.4 Amanda Sobhy will lead the way in the women’s draw in Singapore, and she will face either Scotland’s Lisa Aitken or Egypt’s Nadine Shahin in the second round.
The three-time Oracle NetSuite Open champion could then face compatriot Olivia Fiechter in the quarter finals.
Sobhy could then come up against World No.6 Nour El Tayeb or World No.8 Rowan Elaraby in the semi-finals, before being seeded to meet New Zealand’s Joelle King in the final.
King will be the No.2 seed for the competition, and could face Belgium’s Tinne Gilis in the quarter finals, before a meeting with either or England’s top two, as Sarah-Jane Perry and Georgina Kennedy are seeded to meet in the last eight.
The MARIGOLD Singapore Squash Open will feature two wildcards, both of whom will be playing on home soil. Au Yeong Wai Yhann will take on Hollie Naughton in the women’s event, while Samuel Kang will do battle with German No.1 Raphael Kandra in the men’s draw.
All of the action from the MARIGOLD Singapore Squash Open will be streamed live on SQUASHTV.
MARIGOLD Singapore Squash Open, OCBC Arena, Singapore, November 15-20.
Men’s First Round Draw:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) – [Bye]
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v [9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND)
[9/16] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v Shahjahan Khan (USA)
[7] Joel Makin (WAL) – [Bye]
[6] Tarek Momen (EGY) – [Bye]
Baptiste Masotti (FRA) v [9/16] Miguel Rodriguez (COL)
[9/16] Raphael Kandra (GER) v [WC] Samuel Kang (SGP)
[3] Mostafa Asal (EGY) – [Bye]
[4] Diego Elias (PER) – [Bye]
Moustafa El Sirty (EGY) v [9/16] Victor Crouin (FRA)
[9/16] Fares Dessouky (EGY) v Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)
[8] Mazen Hesham (EGY) – [Bye]
[5] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) – [Bye]
Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) v [9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA)
[9/16] Patrick Rooney (ENG) v Omar Mosaad (EGY)
[2] Ali Farag (EGY) – [Bye]
Women’s First Round Draw:
[1] Amanda Sobhy (USA) – [Bye]
Lisa Aitken (SCO) v [9/16] Nadine Shahin (EGY)
[9/16] Nele Gilis (BEL) v Mariam Metwally (EGY)
[6] Olivia Fiechter (USA) – [Bye]
[5] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) – [Bye]
Rachel Arnold (MAS) v [9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL)
[9/16] Olivia Clyne (USA) v Aifa Azman (MAS)
[3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) – [Bye]
[4] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) – [Bye]
Sana Ibrahim (EGY) v [9/16] Emily Whitlock (WAL)
[9/16] Sabrina Sobhy (USA) v Melissa Alves (FRA)
[7] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) – [Bye]
[8] Tinne Gilis (BEL) – [Bye]
Alexandra Fuller (RSA) v [9/16] Salma Hany (EGY)
[9/16] Hollie Naughton (CAN) v [WC] Au Yeong Wai Yhann (SGP)
[2] Joelle King (NZL) – [Bye]
Pictures courtesy of PSA World Tour