City of Devonport Tasmanian Open: Tournament Preview

The run of Australian tournaments on the Challenger Tour continues this week with the City of Devonport Tasmanian Open, which takes place at the Devonport Squash Club in Tasmania, Australia.

The Challenger 10 level competition, which features both a men’s and women’s draw, takes place from Wednesday, September 7 to Sunday, September 11, will see several members of the world’s top 100 in action across the week.

England’s Grace Gear, the World No.52, will be the top seed for the women’s event, and the highest-ranked player in the tournament. The Englishwoman suffered an early exit from last week’s Volkswagen Bega Open, and will be looking to improve on that result this week in Devonport.

Hong Kong’s Tsz-Wing Tong, Malaysia’s Chan Yiwen and Australia’s Sarah Cardwell make up the rest of the top four seeds for the women’s event, while two more young Malaysians, in Aira Azman and Yee Xin Ying, both of whom have claimed their maiden Tour victories this year, will also be in the seeds.

Switzerland’s Celine Walser joins Gear as the only other European in the draw, with India’s Urwashi Joshi being the only Indian in the women’s Challenger 10 level competition.

Meanwhile, Cardwell will be joined by five other Australians aiming to impress on home soil. Alex Haydon and Jessica Turnbull will be among the eight seeded players, while former World No.1 Rachael Grinham will be aiming to roll back the years. Maggy Marshall and Grace Pattison will be the two wildcards in the women’s event.

The men’s event will be headed up by Pakistan’s Muhammad Asim Khan, who will be aiming to add to his two victories already in 2022. His nearest competition will be Hong Kong’s Tsz Kwan Lau, who claimed the title at the Volkswagen Bega Open, also on Australian soil, on Sunday afternoon.

The Malaysian trio of Addeen Idrakie, Mohammad Syafiq Kamal and Darren Rahul Pragasam, the latter of which just moved into the world’s top 100 for the first time in his career, will all be among the top eight seeds for the Challenger 10 level men’s competition in Tasmania.

New Zealand’s Lwamba Chileshe, Switzerland’s Yannick Wilhelmi and Hong Kong’s Chi Him Wong will also be seeded, with the former’s younger brother, Temwa, also in action. Nicholas Calvert will be the leading Australian in action, with the draw having three wildcards, in Jack and Benjamin Hudson, and Jamie Pattison.

The event takes place from WHEN to WHEN at the VENUE in CITY, where WHO is the top seed for the tournament. Follow the PSA Challenger Tour on Twitter and Facebook for daily updates from the event.

Men’s First Round Draw: City of Devonport Tasmanian Open
[1] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) – [Bye]
Chung Yat Long (HKG) v [9/16] Robin Gadola (SUI)
[9/16] Harley Lam (HKG) v Nicholas Calvert (AUS)
[7] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) – [Bye]
[6] Darren Rahul Pragasam (MAS) – [Bye]
[WC] Jamie Pattison (AUS) v [9/16] Temwa Chileshe (NZL)
[9/16] Robert Andrew Garcia (PHI) v Bryan Lim Tze Kang (MAS)
[3] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) – [Bye]
[4] Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) – [Bye]
[WC] Benjamin Hudson (AUS) v [9/16] Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN)
[9/16] Ong Sai Hung (MAS v [WC] Jack Hudson (AUS)
[5] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) – [Bye]
[8] Chi Him Wong (HKG) – [Bye]
Manu Paquemar (FRA) v [9/16] Zahir Shah (PAK)
[9/16] Tang Ming Hong (HKG) v Joel Arscott (NZL)
[2] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) – [Bye]

Women’s First Round Draw: City of Devonport Tasmanian Open
[1] Grace Gear (ENG) – [Bye]
[9/16] Ainaa Amani (MAS) – [Bye]
[9/16] Urwashi Joshi (IND) v Riffat Khan (PAK)
[6] Alex Haydon (AUS) – [Bye]
[8] Yee Xin Ying (MAS) – [Bye]
[9/16] Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) – [Bye]
[9/16] Sehveetrraa Kumar (MAS) v Aiman Shahbaz (PAK)
[3] Chan Yiwen (MAS) – [Bye]
[4] Sarah Carwell (AUS) – [Bye]
[WC] Maggy Marshall (AUS) v [9/16] Yasshmita Jadishkumar (AUS)
[9/16] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Noor ul Huda (PAK)
[7] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) – [Bye]
[5] Aira Azman (MAS) – [Bye]
[9/16] Ooi Kah Yan (MAS) – [Bye]
[9/16] Celine Walser (SUI) v [WC] Grace Pattison (AUS)
[2] Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) – [Bye]