Val de Reuil Normandie: Tournament Preview

Thursday, March 17 sees the start of the second qualifying event for the 2021-2022 PSA World Championships, with 48 players aiming for those coveted spots at the sport’s premiere event at the Val de Reuil Normandie.

The Val de Reuil Tennis Squash plays host to the Challenger 5 level tournament, with the winners of both the men’s and women’s draws guaranteeing their places at the 2021-2022 PSA World Championships in Cairo in May.

South Africa’s Alexandra Fuller and Hungarian No.1 Balazs Farkas took the titles at the Odense Open earlier this month, becoming the first two players to secure their spots, and 48 more players will be aiming to do so this week in Normandie.

The English duo of Nick Wall and Robert Downer will head up the men’s draw at the Challenger 5 level tournament, a draw that sees all of the top eight seeds coming from inside the world’s top 100, along with hailing from seven different nations.

Colombia’s Juan Camilo Vargas, USA’s Timothy Brownell, Spaniard Ivan Perez, Czech Republic’s Jakub Solnicky, New Zealand’s Lwamba Chileshe and Welshman Emyr Evans make up the rest of the top eight seeds for the tournament, while Germany, Egypt, Finland, Israel and Argentina are also represented in the 24-strong draw.

The women’s draw is just as multi-national, with Egypt’s Fayrouz Aboelkheir leading the way. The World No.64 will be the top seed, with Switzerland’s Celine Walser, Spain’s Marta Domingue Fernandez and German Saskia Beinhard, all members of the world’s top 100, making up the rest of the top four seeds for the competition.

Taba Taghavi will be the leading Frenchwoman on home soil, one of eight French players in action in the women’s draw, with four of the those being wildcards for the event. Australia’s Alex Haydon, Canada’s Hannah Blatt and Japan’s Satomi Watanabe represent those from further afield, while England’s Katie Malliff, who made the final of the Odense Open earlier this month, will be aiming for another run this week.

The event takes place from Thursday, March 17 to Sunday, March 20 at the Val de Reuil Tennis Squash. Follow the PSA Challenger Tour on *Twitter* and *Facebook* for daily updates from the event.

Action from Val de Reuil will be streamed throughout the week on the *PSA Challenger Tour YouTube channel*, where you can watch Challenger Tour action, and interviews with rising stars.

Men’s First Round Draw: Val de Reuil Normandie
[2] Robert Downer (ENG) – [Bye]
[WC} Baptiste Bouin (FRA) v [9/16] Viktor Byrtus (CZE)
[9/16] Henrik Mustonen (FIN) v Edwin Clain (FRA)
[5] Ivan Perez (ESP) – [Bye]
[8] Emyr Evans (WAL) – [Bye]
Valeriy Fedruk (UKR) v [9/16] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA)
[9/16] Yannik Omlor (GER) v [WC] Quint Mandil (FRA)
[3] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) – [Bye]
[4] Timothy Brownell (USA) – [Bye]
Leandro Romiglio (ARG) v [9/16] Valentin Rapp (GER)
[9/16] Temwa Chileshe (NZL) v [WC] Guillaume Duquennoy (FRA)
[7] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) – [Bye]
[6] Jakub Solnicky (CZE) – [Bye]
Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR) v [9/16] Charlie Lee (ENG)
[9/16] Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY) v [WC] Manu Paquemar (FRA)
[1] Nick Wall (ENG) – [Bye]

Women’s First Round Draw: Val de Reuil Normandie
[1] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) – [Bye]
[9/16] Jacqueline Peychar (AUT) – [Bye]
[9/16] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) v Kiera Marshall (ENG)
[7] Katie Malliff (ENG) – [Bye]
[8] Alex Haydon (AUS) – [Bye]
[WC] Kara Lincou (FRA) v [9/16] Elise Romba (FRA)
[9/16] Emilia Korhonen (FIN) v [WC] Lilou Brevard-Belliot (FRA)
[4] Saskia Beinhard (GER) – [Bye]
[3] Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP) – [Bye]
Ana Munos (FRA) v [9/16] Hannah Blatt (CAN)
[9/16] Katie Wells (ENG) v [WC] Rose Lucas Marcuzzo (FRA)
[6] Katerina Tycova (GER) – [Bye]
[5] Taba Taghavi (FRA) – [Bye]
[WC] Oceana Michelot (FRA) v [9/16] Katriona Allen (SCO)
[9/16] Aylin Gunsav (GER) v [WC] Ninon Lemarchand (FRA)
[2] Celine Walser (SUI) – [Bye]