The Professional Squash Association (PSA) has released the seeding list for the 2018 Lagos International Squash Classics scheduled to take place at the Molade-Okoya Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium from March 19-24.
The tournament is being organized by the Lagos State Squash Association (LSSA) and supported by the Nigeria Squash Federation (NSF) and as a PSA-sanctioned event; the seeding list for the tournament was based on the global ranking of the players with Egypt’s Karim Ali Fathi and Czech Republic’s Eva Fertekova dominating the seeding list in the men and women events.
Eight players were seeded in the men’s category while six made the seeding list in the women division.
Egyptian players dominated the men’s seeding list with Karim Ali Fathi, who is ranked 39th in the world named the top seed.
Other players seeded include Egypt’s trio of Mazen Gamal (54), Mohamed Reda (58) and Karim El Hammamy (69) completing the top four seeds. England’s Angus Gillams is fifth seed, while Egypt’s Mohamed ElSherbini, Switzerland’s Dimitri Steinmann and Egypt’s Shehab Essam are seeded sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.
No Nigerian player made the seeding list but Nigeria’s highest ranked player in the world, Tunde Ajagbe got a wildcard into the 12-man list in the main draw of the men’s event.
The Czech Republic’s Eva Fertekova, who is rated 102 in the world, is the number one seed in the women category.
Other players that made the four-man seeding list include Egypt’s Menna Nasser, Nigeria’s Yemisi Olatunji and Egypt’s Salma Youssef who are seeded second, third and fourth respectively.
Aside top playing nations like France and Egypt, other nations listed for the six-day tournament include England, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, Ireland, Iraq, South Africa, Belgium, United States, Pakistan, India and Czech Republic.
The world ranking event would afford the players to amass points for their global rating as the men will share $15,000 while the women will be aiming for the $5000 purse.
