Three-Time Champion Elias Returns To Defend Title At Sturbridge Capital Motor City Open

World No.2 Diego Elias will return to defend his title at the Sturbridge Capital Motor City Open 2024, PSA World Tour Silver event, which will take place between January 31-4 February at the Birmingham Athletic Club, Detroit. 

Elias, 27, defeated Egypt’s Mazen Hesham in last year’s final to capture his third consecutive title at the event, and will be looking to enjoy similar success when he returns as No.1 seed for the 2024 edition. After receiving a first-round bye, the ‘Peruvian Puma’ is due to play one of Rui Soares or Cesar Salazar in the last 16, whilst also sitting in the same quarter of the draw as No.6 seed Nicolas Mueller. 

New Zealand’s Paul Coll, who is the No.2 seed for the event, has been in imperious form in recent months, winning the two most recent Platinum titles at the U.S. Open and the Hong Kong Open. The World No.3 is set to open his account against either Faraz Khan or Abhay Singh before a potential quarter-final bout against No.8 seed Mohamed Abouelghar if the event were to go to seeding. 

There is plenty of danger further back in the seedings, with Fares Dessouky, Mohamed ElSherbini, and Adrian Waller drawn as No.4, No.5, and No.7 seeds, respectively. Egypt’s Dessouky, in particular, has fond memories of playing at the Motor City Open, having knocked out Coll on his way to the semi-finals last year and finishing runner-up to Elias back in 2022. 

Elsewhere, there is bound to be plenty of entertainment from the racket of Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez, who will start the event as the No.3 seed. The 38-year-old, who was a runner-up to Elias at the 2023 Pan American Games, will kick off his campaign against one of England’s Charlie Lee or Egypt’s Ibrahim Elkabbani. 

American representation in the draw arrives in the form of Timothy Brownell, Shahjahan Khan and Faraz Khan. 

Action from the Sturbridge Capital Motor City Open 2024 will be available to watch live on SQUASHTV, while for more information on the event, visit the PSA World Tour website or follow the PSA on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. To enquire about tickets and availabilities, contact jwellings@bacmi.net.

Draw: 

[1] Diego Elias (PER) [bye]

Rui Soares (POR) v [9/16] Cesar Salazar (MEX) 

[9/16] George Parker (ENG) v Bernat Jaume (ESP)

[6] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) [bye]

[5] Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) [bye]

Lucas Serme (FRA) v [9/16] Timothy Brownell (USA)

[9/16] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) v Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) 

[4] Fares Dessouky (EGY) [bye]

[3] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) [bye]

Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY) v [9/16] Charlie Lee (ENG)

[9/16] Farkas Balazs (HUN) v Simon Herbert (ENG) 

[7] Adrian Waller (ENG) [bye]

[8] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) [bye]

Aly Hussein (EGY) v [9/16] Shahjahan Khan (USA)

[9/16] Faraz Khan (USA) v Abhay Singh (IND)

[2] Paul Coll (NZL) [bye]