Draws Released for Karachi Open Squash Championships

The main draws for the 2022 Karachi Open Squash Championships have been released, with former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad and France’s Enora Villard heading the men’s and women’s draws, respectively, between March 15-19 at the DA Creek Club.

The male event is a PSA World Tour Bronze tournament, while the female competition is a PSA Challenger Tour 20 tournament.

Former World Champion Gawad leads the men’s draw and will be looking to claim his first title since 2019. The Egyptian will face the winner of home favourite Asim Khan and England’s Declan James in his first match of the tournament as he receives a bye in round one.

The No.2 seed is World No.16 Youssef Soliman from Egypt. Soliman, a recent quarter finalist at the Houston Open, will open his account against the winner of Spain’s Bernat Jaume and event wildcard Muhammad Ashab Irfan from Pakistan.

Pakistan’s best chance of a home winner comes in the form of World No.44 Tayyab Aslam. The nation’s No.1 will face up and coming Egyptian Yahya Elnawasany in his first round match. The pair last met at the Egyptian Open in September, with the Egyptian winning 3-1 in 38 minutes to level the head to head record at 1-1.

No.1 seed for the female event is France’s Enora Villard. The French No.4 recently lost out to Georgina Kennedy from England in the last 16 of the Cleveland Classic and will be looking to improve on that performance in Karachi. Villard will play either Pakistan’s Zaynab Khan or New Zealand’s Kaitlyn Watts in her opening match of the event.

England’s Lucy Beecroft is one to watch in the event. The World No.62 won two events in 2021 and will be determined to add to that tally in 2022. Beecroft receives a bye in round one but will face either wildcard Anam Mustafa Aziz or Serbia’s Jelena Dutina in round two.

No.3 seed Marie Stephan is entering the Challenger 20 event full of confidence as the 25-year-old recently captured her first French Nationals title, beating Enora Villard in the final. Stephan will play Pakistan’s Amna Fayyaz or Malaysia’s Yee Xin Ying for a place in the quarter finals.

For updates on the Karachi Open Squash Championships, visit the PSA World Tourwebsite or follow the PSA on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Karachi Open Squash Championships 2022: Men’s Draw
[1] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) [Bye]
Asim Khan (PAK) v [9/16] Declan James (ENG)
[9/16] Greg Lobban (SCO) v Henry Leung (HKG)
[6] Todd Harrity (USA) [Bye]
[7] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) [Bye]
Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) v [9/16] Edmon Lopez (ESP)
[9/16] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) v [WC] Noor Zaman (PAK)
[3] Omar Mosaad (EGY) [Bye]
[4] Karim El Hammamy (EGY) [Bye]
Faraz Khan (USA) v [9/16] Alan Clyne (SCO)
[9/16] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) v Mazen Gamal (EGY)
[8] Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) [Bye]
[5] Shahjahan Khan (USA) [Bye]
Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) v [9/16] Tayyab Aslam (PAK)
[9/16] Bernat Jaume (ESP) v [WC] Muhammad Ashab Irfan (PAK)
[2] Youssef Soliman (EGY) [Bye]

Karachi Open Squash Championships 2022: Women’s Draw
[1] Enora Villard [Bye]
Zaynab Khan (PAK) v [9/16] Kaitlyn Watts (NZL)
[9/16] Nadeen Kotb (EGY) v Sofía Mateos (ESP)
[5] Nadia Pfister (SUI) [Bye]
[6] Georgia Adderley (SCO) [Bye]
Lea Barbeau (FRA) v [9/16] Chan Yiwen (MAS)
[9/16] Amna Fayyaz (PAK) v Yee Xin Ying (MAS)
[3] Marie Stephan (FRA) [Bye]
[4] Ka Yi Lee (HKG) [Bye]
Sarah Cardwell (AUS) v [9/16] Anna Kimberley (ENG)
[9/16] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) v Rana Ismail (EGY)
[7] Menna Hamed (EGY) [Bye]
[8] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) [Bye]
[WC] Anam Mustafa Aziz (PAK) v [9/16] Jelena Dutina (SRB)
[9/16] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) v [WC] Mariam Malik (PAK)
[2] Menna Nasser (EGY) [Bye]