Challenger Tour Weekly Preview: Zakaria Back in Action, Green Squash Tour Concludes

A host of squash’s most talented young stars are on display once more on the PSA Challenger Tour this week, with three events taking place in three different countries. 

Aston and Fincher Sutton Coldfield International 

The first tournament to kick off is the Aston and Fincher Sutton Coldfield International, which boasts a star-studded line-up similar to that of The Northern Joe Cup last week. 

16-year-old Mohamad Zakaria – the men’s champion in Manchester – is the men’s No.3 seed but is actually the highest-ranked player in the competition, sitting at a career-high of 84 following his Northern Joe Cup success. 

The two players above him in the seedings are England’s James Peach and Scotland’s Alistair Prott, with Stuart Macgregor at No.4. 

Reigning British Junior champion Jonah Bryant is also among the seeds, at No.5, targeting a third PSA Tour title of the season. The 18-year-old was beaten by Finnlay Withington in round two of The Northern Joe Cup, but not before knocking out world junior champion Hamza Khan in a clinical round-one display. 

Khan and Bryant could meet again in this tournament, but only if both players reach the final, having been placed in opposite halves of the draw. 

Bryant and Zakaria, however, are in the same half, meaning they would meet in the semi-finals should both players get that far. 

The women’s competition also features some of the sport’s most promising junior players, including No.2 seed Asia Harris and reigning British junior champion Amelie Haworth. 

Harris and Haworth are both in the bottom quarter of the draw meaning they will face off in the quarter-finals if they get that far, but Haworth will first have to get past Vahbiz Bulsara in round one and then No.5 seed Kiera Marshall in round two.

PSA Des Hauts De France – Wam 

Across the channel, the Green Squash Tour draws to a close with the PSA Des Hauts De France – Wam, a men’s 15k event in Lille. 

The top four seeds are all from different countries, led by Colombia’s Juan Camilo Vargas and Spain’s Bernat Jaume at No.1 and 2, with Edwain Clain the highest-seeded French player at No.4 

Clain is joined by compatriot Macéo Levy among the players with a first-round bye, while rising star Melvil Scianimanico will be hoping to put together another deep run on home soil after reaching the quarter-finals of the recent Cognac Open. 

The 18-year-old is up to a career-high ranking of World No.166 having started the year outside the top 300, and will begin his competition against Belgium’s Joeri Hapers. 

The other standout name to keep an eye on is No.6 seed and former World No.22 Moustafa El Sirty, who comes into this event having won the International Tournament Madeira Island last week, in what was his first event since February. 

CAS-Serena Hotels International Squash Championship  

The final event of the week comes from Islamabad, Pakistan, where the CAS-Serena Hotels International Squash Championship takes place. 

Both the men’s and women’s draws are dominated by three countries – Pakistan, Egypt and Malaysia – with all but two of the top 16 players in each competition hailing from one of the three. 

Egypt’s Ibrahim Elkabbani is the men’s No.1 seed, just ahead of home hopefuls Muhammad Asim Khan and Noor Zamam at No.2 and 4 respectively. 

The women’s draw is topped by Malaysia’s Chan Yiwen and Egyptian prospect Nour Khafagy, with the highest-placed Pakistani player being No.8 seed Anam Mustafa Aziz. 

You can stay up to date with all the results on the PSA Tour here.