First women’s event and best-of-three scoring up to the quarter-finals
By JANE BALL (Squash Mad Reporter)
World Champions Nour El Sherbini and Ali Farag will top the draws for the upcoming Grasshopper Cup, PSA World Tour Gold event, which will return to the PSA World Tour calendar for the first time in three years between October 18-23 at Zurich’s Halle 622.
This year’s edition of the Grasshopper Cup will feature a women’s event for the first time in the event’s 43-year history, with an equal prize purse of $107,500 on offer in both the men’s and women’s events. The event will use a best-of-three games scoring format up to and including the quarter-finals, with the semis and finals reverting to best of five scoring.
El Sherbini, the current World No.2, will headline the inaugural women’s event alongside stars such as World No.3 Hania El Hammamy, World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry and former World No.3 Nour El Tayeb, with seven of the world’s top 10 in attendance.
El Sherbini is seeded to play India’s Joshna Chinappa in round two before potential meetings against Olivia Fiechter and Rowan Elaraby en route to the title decider.
El Hammamy, meanwhile, will open up against either Hollie Naughton or Enora Villard in round two and is drawn on the same side of the draw as the likes of Commonwealth Games gold medallist Georgina Kennedy and No.3 seed Perry.
In the men’s event, 2017 runner-up Farag will be joined by seven other members of the world’s top 10, including Paul Coll, Mostafa Asal and Diego Elias, all of whom reside in the top five.
Farag is predicted to play home favourite Nicolas Mueller in the second round after receiving a bye into the last 16 and is seeded to come up against long-time foe Marwan ElShorbagy and Peru’s Elias as he bids to reach a second Grasshopper Cup final.
Coll is the No.2 seed and could play Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez – who claimed a stunning win over Farag in round three of the Qatar Classic earlier this week – in his first match. If he can beat Rodriguez, matches against Fares Dessouky and rival Mostafa Asal could await the Kiwi.
An all-glass show court erected at Halle 622 will host action from round two onwards, while the opening round will take place at Squash Arena Uster. All of the action will be shown live on SQUASHTV.
2022 Grasshopper Cup, Zurich, Switzerland, October 18-23.
2022 Grasshopper Cup: Men’s Draw
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) [bye]
Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) v [9/16] Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
[916] Youssef Soliman (EGY) v Auguste Dussourd (FRA)
[7] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]
[6] Joel Makin (WAL) [bye]
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) v [9/16] Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
[9/16] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) v Lucas Serme (FRA)
[4] Diego Elias (EGY) [bye]
[3] Mostafa Asal (EGY) [bye]
Greg Lobban (SCO) v [9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA)
[9/16] Raphael Kandra (GER) v [WC] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI)
[5] Tarek Momen (EGY) [bye]
[8] Fares Dessouky (EGY) [bye]
George Parker (EGY) v [9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY)
[9/16] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) v Patrick Rooney (ENG)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL)
2022 Grasshopper Cup: Women’s Draw
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) [bye]
Cindy Merlo (SUI) v [9/16] Joshna Chinappa (IND)
[9/16] Tinne Gilis (BEL) v [WC] Nadia Pfister (SUI)
[8] Olivia Fiechter (USA) [bye]
[5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) [bye]
Anna Serme (CZE) v [9/16] Melissa Alves (FRA)
[9/16] Emily Whitlock (WAL) v Emilia Soini (FIN)
[4] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) [bye]
[3] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) [bye]
Cristina Gomez (ESP) v [9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL)
[9/16] Nadine Shahin (EGY) v Julianne Courtice (ENG)
[6] Salma Hany (EGY) [bye]
[7] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) [bye]
Marie Stephan (FRA) v [9/16] Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
[9/16] Hollie Naughton (CAN) v Enora Villard (FRA)
[2] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) [bye]
Pictures courtesy of PSA World Tour