Challenger Tour Weekly Preview: Worlds Qualifier Among Three Events

There are three events on the Challenger Tour this week, with the last of four qualifying events for the PSA World Championships 2021-2022 being among those. Action will come from three continents as well, ranging from Australia to the Caribbean over the next seven days.

There were just the two tournaments on Tour last week, both being held in the United States. Hong Kong’s Chan Sin Yuk and USA’s Timothy Brownell won the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions Challenger in New York, while Egypt’s Hana Moataz claimed the biggest title of her career, as she won the Challenger 20 level Richmond Open crown.

This week’s action begins on Tuesday with the fourth and final qualifying event for the sport’s premiere tournament. The winners of the Bermuda Open will receive the last places in the draw in Cairo. After that, the Archi Factory Open Lorient begins on Wednesday, with the Sandgate Open, which will be held on Australian soil, will commence on Friday.

Here is what is going on on the Challenger Tour this week…

Bermuda Open
The first tournament this week will be the Bermuda Open, the final chance for players to qualify for the sport’s premiere event, the PSA World Championships in Cairo. The Challenger 10 level tournament is the fourth qualifying tournament for the World Champs, following the Odense Open, Val de Reuil Normandie and the University of Birmingham Open.

Hana Moataz will be the top seed for the women’s event, and will be aiming to win in back-to-back weeks after winning the biggest title of her career at the weekend, when she claimed the Richmond Open title in Virginia, USA. Scotland’s Georgia Adderley, Switzerland’s Nadia Pfister and Polish No.1 Karina Tyma will make up the rest of the top four seeds.

USA’s World No.52 Faraz Khan will lead the men’s draw, with compatriot Christopher Gordon and Canada’s David Baillargeon as his nearest competitors in terms of seeding. Scotland’s Rory Stewart, who comes in from a great week at the European Team Championships in the Netherlands, will be one to watch. England’s Robert Downer and Tom Walsh, along with the Colombian pairing of Juan Camilo Vargas and Ronald Palomino, will also be among the top eight seeds.

A total of ten Bermudan players will be in action for the Challenger 10 level tournament, with Emma Keane, Juliette Ferrari-McComb, Isabella White, Hailey Moss and Shannon Mann in action in the women’s event. Noah Browne, Taylor Carrick, Micah Franklin, Anthony Fellowes and Anaya Smith will represent the home nation in the men’s draw.

Archi Factory Open Lorient
The only tournament on European soil this week will be the Archi Factor Open Lorient, which will take place from Wednesday, May 4 to Saturday, May 7 at Top Form Squash & Fitness in Larmor Plage, France.

Spaniard Ivan Perez will be the top seed for the Challenger 5 level men’s event, with England’s Curtis Malik, Germany’s Valentin Rapp and Switzerland’s Yannick Wilhelmi making up the rest of the top four seeds for the competition.

The leading Frenchman on home soil will be Toufik Mekhalfi, who will be the No.8 seed for the tournament. Edwin Clain, Manu Paquemar, Laouenan Loaec, Quint Mandil and Baptiste Bouin will also be in action, aiming to win in their home nation.

Sandgate Open
The last tournament of the week on the Challenger Tour will be the Sandgate Open, with the Challenger 10 level women’s tournament taking place from Friday, May 6 to Monday, May 9 at the Sandgate Squash Club in Deagon, Australia.

Home favourites Jessica Turnbull, Tamika Hunt and Salma Eltayeb will lead the way in the draw, alongside Egypt’s Salma Eltayeb. The Malaysian trio of Yee Xin Yang, Ainaa Amani and Aira Azman will also be among the seeds, with Japanese No.1 Satomi Watanabe making up the final spot in the top eight for the tournament.

This Week’s Schedule
Bermuda Open: Tuesday, May 3 – Saturday, May 7
Archi Factory Open Lorient: Wednesday, May 4 – Saturday, May 7
Sandgate Open: Friday, May 6 – Monday May 9