Elshorbagy Headlines Loaded British Open Men’s Draw by Nathan Clarke March 15, 2016
- After adding his name to the illustrious list of Allam British Open
title winners in 2015 by downing current World Champion Gregory
Gaultier in a thrilling five-game final, 25-year-old Egyptian
World No.1 Mohamed Elshorbagy returns to the Airco Arena, Hull next
week as favourite to successfully defend his crown in what is a
mouthwatering men’s draw.
Elshorbagy joined the likes
of squash legends Jonah Barrington, Geoff Hunt, Jahangir Khan and
Jansher Khan on the ‘Wimbledon of Squash’ winners list with his
94-minute, 11-9, 6-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-5, win last year but he knows he
will have to be at his very best in order to fulfil his hopes of
becoming a two-time champion as he heads what promises to be one of the
most competitive British Open competitions in recent memory with a
series of high-profile encounters pitting the sport's finest
practitioners together from the very first day of competition when the
form book could be ripped apart.
Elshorbagy has taken
the title at four of five PSA World Series tournaments so far during
the 2015/16 season and will begin his British Open campaign against a
qualifier on March 22 as part of the top half of a draw which also
features World No.4 Omar Mosaad, former World No.1 James Willstrop,
World No.6 Miguel Angel Rodriguez, recent Canary Wharf Classic winner
Mathieu Castagnet and Marwan Elshorbagy - Mohamed’s younger brother and
World No.10.
The opposite side of the draw sees Nick
Matthew, who at 35-years-old is the oldest competitor already in this
year’s main draw, and 2014 champion Gaultier seeded to meet in the
semi-finals should both make it that far while 2013 winner Ramy Ashour,
the flamboyant Egyptian who went 49-matches undefeated through 2012 and
2013, is afforded an ‘under the radar’ status as he returns to the
British Open for the first time since 2014 amidst yet more question
marks surrounding his fitness.
Main Draw - Men's 2016 Allam British Open [1] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) v [Qualifier] James Willstrop (ENG) v Tarek Momen (EGY) Daryl Selby (ENG) v [Qualifier] [Qualifier] v [6] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) [8] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v Saurav Ghosal (IND) Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v Borja Golan (ESP) Mazen Hesham (EGY) v Fares Dessouki (EGY) Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v [4] Omar Mosaad (EGY) [3] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [Qualifier] Ali Farag (EGY) v [WC] Tom Richards (ENG) Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) v [Qualifier] [Qualifier] v [5] Ramy Ashour (EGY) [7] Simon Rösner (GER) v Max Lee (HKG) Chris Simpson (ENG) v [Qualifier] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) v [Qualifier] Cameron Pilley (AUS) v [2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
The
2016 Allam British Open, PSA World Series tournament, takes place in
Hull, England from Saturday 19th to Sunday 27th March. Qualification
rounds will take place at the University of Hull on the 19th & 20th
March while the main draw action will be played at the Airco Arena from
the 21st March.
Tickets for the 2016 Allam British
Open can be booked online at www.isportstore.com, by telephone on (+44)
0 844 8797 949 or, for more information, email sales@isportstore.com
