World Junior Champions Mohamad Zakaria and Fayrouz Aboelkheir, both of whom will be eying first titles of the season and wins that could push them ever closer to the top five in the PSA World Rankings at the Swedish Open squash championships starting later tonight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event will be the biggest squash tournament ever in Northern Europe, offering up a total prize pot of $109.000. It will also be the first time Sweden has hosted a women\u2019s World Tour event, and the first time in almost 40 years that a glass court will be featured in Stockholm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nineteen-year-old Zakaria has taken the PSA Squash Tour by storm over the last 12 months, reaching his first Platinum final at the El Gouna International and rising to a current career-high ranking of World No.6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Egyptian, a four-time World Junior Champion, can be found in the same quarter of the draw as fellow Egyptian rising talent Kareem El Torkey, the No.8 seed this week, and the same half of the draw as No.3 seed Marwan ElShorbagy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
World No.9 ElShorbagy will hope to build on a strong start to the season, which has included semi-final and quarter-final finishes at the London Classic and Qatar Classic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the bottom half of the draw, No.2 seed Joel Makin will mark his return from injury in Stockholm, competing in his first event since the PSA Squash Tour Finals in June. The World No.8 endured an injury-stricken 2025\/26 campaign on tour and will hope a strong off-season of recovery leaves him well-placed not only for a strong push at the Swedish Open, but also for the upcoming major events beyond that on tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Welshman can be found in the same half of the draw as No.4 seed Mohamed Abouelghar, No.5 seed Leonel Cardenas and No.7 seed Gregoire Marche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, in the women\u2019s draw, World No.7 Aboelkheir will be on the hunt for a fifth PSA Tour title and her third Silver-level title since the start of last season. If the 20-year-old reaches the final this week, she will climb to a career-high rank of World No.6 in the PSA Rankings, overtaking Japanese No.1 Satomi Watanabe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Standing in Aboelkheir\u2019s way in the top half of the draw will be the likes of No.4 seed Nele Gilis, No.6 seed Lucy Turmel and No.7 seed Mariam Metwally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After an encouraging start to the season, highlighted by her win over World No.1 Hania El Hammamy at the London Classic, Georgina Kennedy arrives at the Swedish Open as tournament No.2 seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since lifting Manchester Open silverware in April 2024, Kennedy hasn\u2019t won a PSA Tour title, a run which also includes eight runner-up finishes in that time. The England No.1 will look to overturn that record when she opens her account up against either Grace Gear or Saran Nghiem, before a potential quarter-final against the in-form No.5 seed Rowan Elaraby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elsewhere in the bottom half of the draw lies No.3 seed Amanda Sobhy, a big danger to any player in the world on her day. The southpaw, who currently sits at World No.10 in the PSA World Rankings, is a potential semi-final opponent for Kennedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. No.2 could also face No.8 seed Hana Ramadan at the quarter-finals stage if the pair were to come through their opening round matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Home representation at the Swedish Open comes in the form of Joel Viksten and Lovisa Ronge, who have both been handed Wildcard spots. Viksten faces Greg Lobban, while Ronge takes on Nadine Shahin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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