Mohamed ElShorbagy lies in wait, looking for revenge
By ELLIE MAWSON

Defending champion Miguel Rodriguez has been pitted on the same side of the draw as last year’s runner-up Mohamed ElShorbagy after the draws for the 2019 Allam British Open were released today (Tuesday April 16).

Taking place between May 20-26 at the University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre, the British Open is squash’s longest-running tournament and Rodriguez will return to defend his crown 12 months after becoming the first South American ever to lift the prestigious title.

The 33-year-old from Bogota receives a bye into round two, where he will face either Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller or New Zealand’s Campbell Grayson. The World No.7 is seeded to play World No.2 ElShorbagy in the quarter-finals in a rematch of last year’s final.

ElShorbagy, a two-time British Open champion, also receives a bye in round one and could come up against crowd favourite and three-time runner-up James Willstrop in the last 32 if the Englishman can get the better of India’s Ramit Tandon.

Top seed Ali Farag will face either compatriot Mostafa Asal or Frenchman Gregoire Marche in round two and will have to navigate a tricky draw that could see him play the likes of World No.11 Marwan ElShorbagy, World No.8 Mohamed Abouelghar and World No.3 Tarek Momen en route to the final.

Elsewhere, Germany’s Raphael Kandra will look to follow up his giant-killing run to the semi-finals of last year’s tournament and he will take on Marwan ElShorbagy – who he beat en route – in round two.

England’s top male player Declan James gets a bye into the second round, where he will face former World No.3 Omar Mosaad in a battle of the giants. Both players are 6ft 4in tall.

The women’s draw is headed up by 2018 runner-up Raneem El Welily, who will face either 2008 runner-up Jenny Duncalf or World Junior Champion Rowan Elaraby in the second round.

World No.1 El Welily is seeded to play United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy in round three, World No.7 Nouran Gohar in the quarter-finals and World No.3 Nour El Tayeb in the semis.

Five-time winner Nicol David will appear at the final tournament of her distinguished career after announcing her decision to retire at the end of this season. The legendary Malaysian will take on compatriot Rachel Arnold in round one, and a win for the 35-year-old will see her lock horns with El Tayeb.

World No.2 Nour El Sherbini beat El Welily to win her second British Open title last May, and she will begin her tournament against either fellow Egyptian Mayar Hany or France’s Coline Aumard.

She is pitted on the same side of the draw as former champions Laura Massaro and Camille Serme and is seeded to face the latter in the semi-finals.

World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry, the highest-ranked English player on the PSA Tour, will play either Hollie Naughton or a wildcard in the second round as she looks to do one better than her runner-up finish in Hull in 2017.

In addition to one of the sport’s most iconic titles, points for the season-ending PSA World Tour Finals will also be up for grabs as players battle for a top eight place on the PSA World Tour Finals Leaderboard, which will see them qualify for June’s showpiece event in Cairo.

Matches from the glass court will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (up to and including quarter-finals, excluding Europe and Japan). Semi-finals and finals will also be broadcast on mainstream channels around the world such as BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.

British Open website: www.allambritishopen.com
Twitter: @BritOpenSquash
Tickets are available via Ticketmaster 

2019 Allam British Open, University of Hull, Yorkshire, England.
Men’s Main Draw:
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) [bye]
Mostafa Asal (EGY) v [17/32] Gregoire Marche (FRA)
[9/16] Raphael Kandra (GER) [bye]
[9/16] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]
[9/16] Diego Elias (PER) [bye]
Alan Clyne (SCO) v [17/32] Borja Golan (ESP)
[17/32] Adrian Waller (ENG) v George Parker (ENG)
[8] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) [bye]
[5] Paul Coll (NZL) [bye]
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) v [17/32] Mazen Hesham (EGY)
[17/32] Max Lee (HKG) v Todd Harrity (USA)
Cameron Pilley (AUS) v [17/32] Lucas Serme (FRA)
[17/32] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) v [WC] Joshua Masters (ENG)
Fares Dessouky (EGY) v [17/32] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
[9/16] Joel Makin (WAL) [bye]
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) [bye]
[4] Simon Rösner (GER) [bye]
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v [17/32] Tom Richards (ENG)
[9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) [bye]
[9/16] Declan James (ENG) [bye]
[17/32] Greg Lobban (SCO) v Ivan Yuen (MAS)
[9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY) [bye]
[9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) [bye]
[6] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) [bye]
[7] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) [bye]
Campbell Grayson (NZL) v [17/32] Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
[17/32] Cesar Salazar (MEX) v Chris Simpson (ENG)
Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) v [17/32] Leo Au (HKG)
[17/32] Daryl Selby (ENG) v Ben Coleman (ENG)
[WC] Patrick Rooney (ENG) v [17/32] Youssef Soliman (EGY)
[17/32] James Willstrop (ENG) v Ramit Tandon (IND)
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]

Women’s Main Draw:
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) [bye]
Jenny Duncalf (ENG) v [17/32] Rowan Elaraby (EGY)
[17/32] Samantha Cornett (CAN) v Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
[9/16] [12] Amanda Sobhy (USA) [bye]
[9/16] [14] Salma Hany (EGY) [bye]
Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) v [17/32] Joey Chan (HKG)
[17/32] Emily Whitlock (ENG) v Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG)
[7] Nouran Gohar (EGY) [bye]
[5] Joelle King (NZL) [bye]
Low Wee Wern (MAS) v [17/32] Fiona Moverley (ENG)
[17/32] Yathreb Adel (EGY) v Haley Mendez (USA)
[10] Alison Waters (ENG) [bye]
[9/16] [11] Annie Au (HKG) [bye]
Olivia Fiechter (USA) v [17/32] Zeina Mickawy (EGY)
[17/32] Nicol David (MAS) v Rachel Arnold (MAS)
[3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) [bye]
[4] Camille Serme (FRA) [bye]
Lisa Aitken (SCO) v [17/32] Milou van der Heijden (NED)
[17/32] Mariam Metwally (EGY) v Julianne Courtice (ENG)
[9] Tesni Evans (WAL) [bye]
[16] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) [bye]
[WC] Lucy Turmel (ENG) v [17/32] Nele Gilis (BEL)
[17/32] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Tinne Gilis (BEL)
[8] Laura Massaro (ENG) [bye]
[6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) [bye]
[17/32] Hollie Naughton (CAN) [bye]
[17/32] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) v Danielle Letourneau (CAN)
[15] Joshna Chinappa (IND) [bye]
[13] Victoria Lust (ENG) [bye]
Melissa Alves (FRA) v [17/32] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
[17/32] Mayar Hany (EGY) v Coline Aumard (FRA)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) [bye] 

Pictures courtesy of PSA