Nour ElSherbini & Diego Elias To Headline Inaugural Florida Open 2024

The draws have been announced for the inaugural Kinetic Orange Ball Florida Open 2024 presented by SmartCentres and PenguinPickUp with women’s World No.1 Nour ElSherbini and men’s World No.2 Diego Elias confirmed as top seeds for the PSA World Tour Gold event.

The event will take place at the Kinetic Indoor Racquet Club in Boyton Beach, Florida from 9-14 January with 48 players looking to capture the titles. Action will be streamed live on SQUASHTV.

As mentioned, Nour ElSherbini will top the women’s draw as she looks to start the new year on the front foot and claim a 15th title on US soil. The World Champion has claimed three titles of the five tournaments that she has played this season and will be determined to make it four from six in the fourth Gold event of the season. 

ElSherbini’s familiar foe and World No.2 Nouran Gohar is returning from injury as the No.2 seed in the event and features in her first tournament since the QTerminals Qatar Classic back in September. Gohar still sits at World No.2 and with Hania El Hamammy hot on her heels, Gohar will be determined as ever to produce strong performances and return to winning ways. Her first match in four months will be against either compatriot Zeina Mickawy or England’s Grace Gear.

After the successful defence of the Hong Kong Open title, Hania El Hammamy couldn’t be more confident heading into 2024. The 23-year-old recovered from a shaky start to the season to claim two Platinum titles and now looks in fine form. Surprisingly, El Hammamy is yet to win a Gold level event, but with form on her side, she can mount a strong challenge to capture her first in Florida.

Only one American features in the draw as newly married Olivia Weaver – formerly Fiechter – will carry home hopes in the women’s draw. Weaver reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Open earlier in the season and loves playing on home soil. She’ll be hoping she can thrive again in her home nation as the No.4 seed. She will be up against either Mariam Metwally or Nicole Bunyan in round two after a first round bye.

Peru’s World No.2 Diego Elias tops the draw in the men’s event and is yet to register a win so far this season, despite reaching three finals. The 27-year-old has lost to World No.1 Ali Farag in all three of those finals this season but the absence of Farag will give Elias huge belief that he can score a first win of the season in a familiar setting.

The always dangerous Mostafa Asal is the No.2 seed and is also yet to taste silverware this season. ‘The Raging Bull’ has been working with former World No.1 James Willstrop this season and has been adjusting his game slightly, resulting in different kinds of performances so far in this campaign. The young Egyptian will be hoping he can perform at his best in Florida as he looks to return to the top of the rankings. Asal will play one of Leonel Cardenas or Yahya Elnawasany in his opening match.

Former Word Champion Mohamed Elshorbagy is seeded third for the event as he still searches for his 50th PSA title. The England No.1 finds himself ranked outside the world’s top four for the first time this season as he is yet to reach a final in this 2023/24 campaign. However, you can never write off the former World No.1 as he is always capable of beating anyone on his day. He will open his event campaign against either tournament wildcard Jeremias Azaña or compatriot Nathan Lake.

Three dangerous Egyptians occupy 75% of the 5/8 seeding places as former World Champion Tarek Momen, World No.7 Mazen Hesham and World No.17 Mohamed ElSherbini will be looking to score upsets. Whilst Welsh No.1 and World No.10 Joel Makin will be looking to continue the form that he showed at the beginning of the season as the No.6 seed.

For more information on the Florida Open 2024, visit the PSA website or follow the PSA on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Women’s Draw:
[1] Nour ElSherbini (EGY) bye
Ineta Mackevica (LAT) v [9/16] Salma Eltayeb (EGY)
[9/16] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) v [WC] Danielle Letourneau (CAN)
[5] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bye
[7] Nada Abbas (EGY) bye
Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) v [9/16] Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG)
[9/16] Mariam Metwally (EGY) v Nicole Bunyan (CAN)
[4] Olivia Weaver (USA) bye
[3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bye
Emilia Soini (FIN) v [9/16] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY)
[9/16] Kenzy Ayman (EGY) v Anna Serme (CZE)
[6] Amina Orfi (EGY) bye
[8] Farida Mohamed (EGY) bye
Millie Tomlinson (ENG) v [9/16] Tomato Ho (HKG)
[9/16] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) v Grace Gear (ENG)
[2] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bye

Men’s Draw:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bye
Ramit Tandon (IND) v [9/16] Nick Wall (ENG)
[9/16] Raphael Kandra (GER) v David Baillargeon (CAN)
[5] Tarek Momen (EGY) bye
[6] Joel Makin (WAL) bye
Shahjahan Khan (USA) v [9/16] Leandro Romiglio (ARG)
[9/16] Abdulla Altamimi (QAT) v Curtis Malik (ENG)
[4] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bye
[3] Mohamed Elshorbagy (ENG) bye
[WC] Jeremias Azaña (ARG) v [9/16] Nathan Lake (ENG)
[9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA) v Cesar Salazar (MEX)
[8] Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) bye
[7] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) bye
Karim El Hammamy (EGY) v [9/16] Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA)
[9/16] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) v Yahya Elnawasany (EGY)
[2] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bye