World Championships Qualifying Event Draws Released

The draws for the PSA World Champions presented by the Walter Family – Qualifying Event have been released today.

The tournament, which will take place alongside the British Open, will be held at the Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham with a total of 84 players involved.

42 men and 42 women will descend on Birmingham, with the aim of taking one of the six available qualifying places in each draw. There will be six seeded players in each draw, with the remaining 36 playing off in the first round. 

The 18 winners, plus the six seeds, will then do battle in the second round, before the third round will see the 12 winners go head-to-head. The six victors on day three of the Qualifying Event will take their spots in the PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family in Chicago on May 3-11.

The big name in the competition is former World No.7 Mohamed Abouelghar, who will certainly be one of the favourites to take one of the six qualifying places in the men’s draw. The Egyptian, who is continuing his return from a lengthy injury layoff, will be the No.4 seed in Birmingham. Japan’s Ryunosuke Tsukue of Mexico’s Arturo Salazar will be his second round opponent, before a possible match with Malaysia’s Addeen Idrakie would await on day three.

England’s Curtis Malik will be the top seed in the men’s qualifying draw, and he could possibly play India’s Abhay Singh in the third round for a possible spot. The Indian is one of just two players to have five victories to their name in the 2022-2023 season, with Englishman Mohamed ElShorbagy being the other.

Egypt’s Mazen Gamal, American Andrew Douglas, Pakistan’s Muhammad Asim Khan and Malaysian Ivan Yuen will be the other seeded players in the men’s draw, one which sees 22 nations represented across the 42 players in action.

Egypt’s Nardine Garas is the top seed in the women’s Qualifying Event. She will play England’s Alicia Mead or Saran Nghiem in round two, before a possible third round clash with Spanish No.2 Marta Dominguez Fernandez for a place in the PSA World Championships.

Compatriot Zeina Zein, German No.1 Saskia Beinhard, Malaysian’s Aira Azman, Australia’s Jessica Turnbull and Swiss No.2 Nadia Pfister make up the rest of the top six seeds for the women’s draw. 20 nationalities will be represented across the women’s competition.

Tickets for the Qualifying Event, which takes place at Edgbaston Priory Club, are available on the tournament’s website, here. All the action will be streamed live as well, with details on where you can watch the action to come in due course.

Keep up with all the action from this year’s PSA World Championships via the official tournament website and by following the event on Twitter and Facebook.

Men’s Draw: PSA World Championships Qualifying Event
[1] Curtis Malik (ENG) – [Bye]
[25/42] Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR) v [13/24] Simon Herbert (ENG)
[13/24] Yannik Omlor (GER) v [25/42] Josue Enriquez (GUA)
[25/42] Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) v [7/12] Abhay Singh (IND)
[2] Mazen Gamal (EGY) – [Bye]
[25/42] Ivan Perez (ESP) v [13/24] Seif Shenawy (EGY)
[13/24] Daniel Mekbib (CZE) v [25/42] Mohamed Nasser (EGY)
[25/42] Joseph White (AUS) v [8/12] Sam Todd (ENG)
[3] Andrew Douglas (USA) – [Bye]
[25/42] Viktor Byrtus (CZE) v [13/24] Edmon Lopez (ESP)
[13/24] Ben Coleman (ENG) v [25/42] Andres Herrera (COL)
[25/42] Taning Ming Hong (HKG) v [7/12] Christopher Gordon (USA)
[4] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) – [Bye]
[25/42] Artur Salazar (MEX) v [13/24] Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN)
[13/24] Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) v [25/42] James Peach (ENG)
[25/42] Wong Chi Him (HKG) v [7/12] Addeen Idrakie (MAS)
[5] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) – [Bye]
[25/42] Edwin Clain (FRA) v [13/24] Ben Smith (ENG)
[13/24] Tom Walsh (ENG) v [25/42] Joeri Hapers (BEL)
[25/42] Khaled Labib (EGY) v [7/12] Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY)
[6] Ivan Yuen (MAS) – [Bye]
[25/42] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) v [13/24] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL)
[13/24] Spencer Lovejoy (USA) v [25/42] Emyr Evans (WAL)
[25/42] Owain Taylor (WAL) v [7/12] Martin Svec (CZE)

Women’s Draw: PSA World Championships Qualifying Event
[1] Nardine Garas (EGY) – [Bye]
[25/42] Saran Nghiem (ENG) v [13/24] Alicia Mead (ENG)
[13/24] Ching Hei Fung (HKG) v [25/42] Celine Walser (SUI)
[25/42] Lea Barbeau (FRA) v [7/12] Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP)
[2] Saskia Beinhard (GER) – [Bye]
[25/42] Nour Heikal (EGY) v [13/24] Ainaa Amani (MAS)
[13/24] Akari Midorikawa (JPN) v [25/42] Katerina Tycova (GER)
[25/42] Jacqueline Peychar (AUT) v [7/12] Sarah Cardwell (AUS)
[3] Aira Azman (MAS) – [Bye]
[25/42] Ali Loke (WAL) v [13/24] Alex Haydon (AUS)
[13/24] Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) v [25/42] Sofia Aveiro Pita (POR)
[25/42] Kincso Szasz (HUN) v [7/12] Menna Hamed (EGY)
[4] Zeina Zein (EGY) – [Bye]
[25/42] Elise Romba (FRA) v [13/24] Torrie Malik (ENG)
[13/24] Alison Thomson (SCO) v [25/42] Klara Moller (DEN)
[25/42] Tanvi Khanna (IND) v [7/12] Kaitlyn Watts (NZL)
[5] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) – [Bye]
[25/42] Ambre Allinckx (SUI) v [13/24] Malak Khafagy (EGY)
[13/24] Anna Kimberley (ENG) v [25/42] Sofia Mateos (ESP)
[25/42] Caroline Fouts (USA) v [7/12] Xin Ying Yee (MAS)
[6] Nadia Pfister (SUI) – [Bye]
[25/42] Nadeen Kotb (EGY) v [13/24] Chan Yiwen (MAS)
[13/24] Au Yeong Wai Yhann (SGP) v [25/42] Asia Harris (ENG)
[25/42] Yasshmita Jadishkumar (MAS) v [7/12] Rana Ismail (EGY)