Tayyab misses direct entry to $348,000 Allam British Open 2019
Pakistan’s foremost squash player Tayyab Aslam has missed direct entry into the main draw of Allam British Open with a few ranking positions.
Pakistan’s foremost squash player Tayyab Aslam has missed direct entry into the main draw of Allam British Open with a few ranking positions.
Tayyab, ranked 51st, is at the top of the reserve players’ list. Though he could not make it to the main draw of the event, he still has chance to play the championship if there is any withdrawal from the main draw.
A record prize purse of $348,000 will be on offer at the 2019 Allam British Open when the world’s leading squash players line up at the University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre between May 20-26, 2019.
Known as ‘The Wimbledon of Squash’, the British Open is the sport’s longest-running tournament and this year will be headed up by World No.1s Ali Farag and Raneem El Welily as they aim to add their names to the famous trophy.
Defending champion Miguel Rodriguez, who last year became the first South American ever to win the prestigious tournament – will return alongside runner-up and two-time winner Mohamed ElShorbagy.
Rodriguez and ElShorbagy are the only players in the men’s draw to have ever won the tournament, and will face stiff competition from the likes of World Championship runner-up Tarek Momen, Germany’s Simon Rösner, New Zealand’s Paul Coll, former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad and World No.8 Mohamed Abouelghar.
El Welily fell in last year’s final to World No.2 El Sherbini and the two are seeded to meet in the final once again. World Championship runner-up Nour El Tayeb, 2015 champion Camille Serme, New Zealand’s Joelle King, England No.1 Sarah-Jane Perry, Egypt’s Nouran Gohar and 2017 winner Laura Massaro make up the rest of the top eight seeds.
Meanwhile, Malaysian icon and five-time winner Nicol David also features as she makes her final appearance at the tournament. The 35-year-old will retire at the end of the season, bringing an end to her association with the event, which stretches back to 2001.
No Pakistani player has entered the main draw of this championship since 2012. In 2015, Nasir Iqbal lost to Mohamed Abouelghar of Egypt 10-12, 2-11, 11-9, 5-11 in 39 minutes in the qualifying final.
In 2014, Nasir Iqbal lost to Nicolas Mueller of Switzerland 8-11, 11-9, 4-11, 3-11 in 41 minutes in the qualifying final. Farhan Zaman was beaten by Tom Richards of England 1-11, 10-12, 7-11 in 41 minutes in the first qualification round. There was no Pakistani player even in the qualification round of British Open in its editions of 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2018.
