Willstrop Withdraws from Swedish Open by Sean Reuthe photo squashpics.com
January 29, 2016
- Former World No.1 James Willstrop has been forced to withdraw from
the upcoming 2016 UCS Swedish Open, PSA M70 event that takes place
between Thursday February 4 - Sunday February 7 in Linköping due to
illness.
The Yorkshireman had been seeded sixth for the
tournament and, after an upturn in recent form that saw him memorably
dispatch World No.1 Mohamed Elshorbagy in November’s PSA Men’s World
Championship, would have been confident of challenging for a second
Swedish Open title after he won his first in 2008.
Willstrop’s
withdrawal sees Scotland’s Greg Lobban move into the main draw, with
England’s Chris Simpson moving up to one of the seeded positions.
"James is a really well-respected player and we wish him a full recovery," said tournament promoter Fredrik Johnson.
"However,
we are still looking forward to one of the most unpredictable Swedish
Open events ever. With six of the world’s top 15 players in action,
including German No.1 Simon Rösner, World Championship semi-finalist
Tarek Momen and Hong Kong Open finalist Cameron Pilley, this year’s
instalment of the Swedish Open looks to be the most tightly-contested
tournament yet.
"We have been buoyed by the fantastic
response that the tournament has received once again in Linköping and,
after excellent ticket sales, are excited to see a packed crowd gather
for an unforgettable tournament."
Main Draw: UCS Swedish Open 2016
[2] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v [WC] Rasmus Hult (SWE)
Greg Lobban (SCO) v [8] Chris Simpson (ENG)
[5] Daryl Selby (ENG) v [Qualifier]
Alan Clyne (SCO) v [4] Max Lee (HKG)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) v Adrian Waller (ENG)
[Qualifier] v [6] Fares Dessouki (EGY)
[7] Cameron Pilley (AUS) v [Qualifier]
[Qualifier] v [1] Simon Rösner (GER)
Having
been held for the first time in the 1970s, the Swedish Open has grown
to become one of the most prestigious International-level tournaments
on the PSA World Tour calendar and is set to enter its 13th year under
the stewardship of ActiPro Event.
The 2016 UCS Swedish Open
gets under way with qualification on February 2 – February 3 with the
main draw action commencing at Linköping Sporthall, Linköping from
February 4 – February 7. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.swedishopensquash.se
