The draws for the MARIGOLD Singapore Squash Open have been released. World No.1 Paul Coll and Oracle NetSuite Open winner Amanda Sobhy will be the top seeds for the PSA World Tour Gold level competition.
Update 10-Nov : [2] Ali Farag w/d injured
The tournament, which will take place from 15th to 20th November 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.
“An event of this stature is a boost to the local squash community,” said Patrick Thio, president of the Singapore Squash Rackets Association (SSRA), in a media release.
“In addition to the thrilling displays of squash, there will also be clinics and opportunities for interaction with these athletes. We hope the action on and off the court will be a source of inspiration to our young squash athletes in their pursuit of sporting excellence.”
After taking the World No.1 spot for a second time on Monday 3rd October, Coll will be the top seed for the men’s draw. After a first round bye, he 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 for the former World No.1.
US No.1 and World No.4 Sobhy will lead the way in the women’s draw, 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 which 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.
“It will be a very special experience, and not only because our friends and family can be present to watch us play,” said five-time national champion Au Yeong. “It gives them a glimpse of what we train for as national athletes: the chance to compete at the top levels of our sport. We’re working hard so that we can give our best performance next month.”
The Straits Times : Coll to compete in Singapore
Yahoo Singapore : first major squash event in 10 years
We’ll be covering the MARIGOLD Singapore Open on site, and on our dedicated minisite
