Draws Released for 2022 Windy City Open Presented by the Walter Family
The draws for the 2022 Windy City Open Presented by the Walter Family have been released, with eight US stars in action across the women’s and men’s events at the University Club of Chicago.
The Windy City Open is one of the richest events on the calendar, with the PSA World Tour Platinum event boasting $500,000 in total player prize compensation.
96 of the world’s leading female and male players will battle it out under the chandeliers of the University Club of Chicago’s stunning Cathedral Hall for the prestigious trophy – and World No.4 Amanda Sobhy represents USA’s best chance of having an American winner for the first time.
The 28-year-old, who is based in Philadelphia, is a four-time Windy City Open quarter finalist and is seeded at No.4 for this year’s event. Sobhy will line up against Canada’s Hollie Naughton in round two and is seeded to play World No.2 and two-time semi finalist Nouran Gohar in the semi finals.
Meanwhile, World No.1 Nour El Sherbini returns to the scene of her fifth PSA World Championship triumph following her win over Gohar last July. El Sherbini will take on either Wales’ Emily Whitlock or Chicago-based Haley Mendez in round two, while she is predicted to take on No.3 seed Hania El Hammamy in the last four.
The other three US players in action in the women’s draw are World No.11 Olivia Fiechter, World No.12 Olivia Clyne and World No.24 Sabrina Sobhy. Fiechter will clash with 2018 winner Nour El Tayeb in round two, while Clyne will take on 2018 runner-up Joelle King. Meanwhile, Sabrina Sobhy will take on wildcard Sarah Cardwell in the opening round.
Like El Sherbini, Farag also tasted PSA World Championship success at the University Club of Chicago during the 2020-21 season, and he returns to defend his crown following his victory over New Zealand’s Paul Coll in 2020.
Farag will find himself up against either Germany’s Raphael Kandra or Mexico’s Arturo Salazar in the second round and is seeded to play two-time champion Mohamed ElShorbagy in the semi finals in what would be a repeat of the men’s 2020-21 PSA World Championship final.
Coll lines up on the opposite side of the draw. The 29-year-old will become the first male Kiwi ever to reach World No.1 on March 1 – the day of the semi finals in Chicago – and he will look to get his name on the winner’s list after falling at the final hurdle in 2020. Coll is seeded to play former World Champion Tarek Momen in the semi finals.
A trio of American men will compete, with the USA’s No.1 male player, Shahjahan Khan, taking on Hong Kong’s Tsz Fung Yip in round one. Todd Harrity will play Frenchman Auguste Dussourd in the opening round, while wildcard Andrew Douglas will lock horns with England’s George Parker.
