Darwish seeded to win maiden World Open title

Egypt's world number one Karim Darwish is seeded to win his maiden World Open squash title, according to the draw for the Kuwait Men's World Open 2009.

The $277k championship - the richest in the history of the men's professional game - features players from 24 nations, and will take place in Kuwait from 1-7 November.

Darwish, who has held the world's top ranking throughout 2009, is drawn to face Pakistan left-hander Mansoor Zaman, the world number 49 from Peshawar, in the first round.

The 28-year-old from Cairo, who was runner-up last year, will be boosted by his home town title triumph last week in the Sky Open, the first PSA Super Series Platinum event of the year.

The likely last sixteen clash which awaits the favourite is against England's former world number two James Willstrop, the 12th seed from Leeds who opens his 2009 campaign against fellow countryman Robbie Temple.

Frenchman Thierry Lincou, the 2004 champion who is the No8 seed, is Darwish's predicted quarter-final opponent - before the Cairo king takes on fellow countryman Amr Shabana in a possible semi-final. Shabana is a three-time win of the title - in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The 30-year-old left-hander from Giza will no doubt be hoping to maintain his 'odd-year' success in the championship in 2009.

France's Gregory Gaultier, runner-up in 2006 and 2007, is the event's second seed [although by the time of the event he will have become world number one] and the candidate expected to face Darwish in the final. The 26-year-old world number two from Aix-en-Provence, who stretched Darwish to five games in last week's Sky Open final, opens his Kuwait campaign against Scottish qualifier Alan Clyne - and is expected to line up against Englishman Nick Matthew, the British Open champion who is ranked five in the world, in the quarter-finals.

The other semi-final predicted by the draw would see Gaultier take on Egypt's world No4 Ramy Ashour, the defending champion from Cairo. The pair staged a mighty last four clash last week in Cairo, with the Frenchman ultimately emerging successful in five games, after 70 minutes.

Australia's David Palmer is another former champion who represents a formidable threat. Winner of the title in 2002 and 2006, the US-based world No6 is in Shabana's quarter of the draw - and faces French qualifier Julien Balbo in the opening round.

Wildcard Abdullah Almezayen, the Kuwaiti number one, has been drawn to face Omar Mosaad of Egypt, the 25th seed.Darwish seeded to win maiden
World Open title in Kuwait ...

Egypt's world number one Karim Darwish is seeded to win his maiden World Open squash title, according to the draw for the Kuwait Men's World Open 2009.

The $277k championship - the richest in the history of the men's professional game - features players from 24 nations, and will take place in Kuwait from 1-7 November.

Darwish, who has held the world's top ranking throughout 2009, is drawn to face Pakistan left-hander Mansoor Zaman, the world number 49 from Peshawar, in the first round.

The 28-year-old from Cairo, who was runner-up last year, will be boosted by his home town title triumph last week in the Sky Open, the first PSA Super Series Platinum event of the year.

The likely last sixteen clash which awaits the favourite is against England's former world number two James Willstrop, the 12th seed from Leeds who opens his 2009 campaign against fellow countryman Robbie Temple.

Frenchman Thierry Lincou, the 2004 champion who is the No8 seed, is Darwish's predicted quarter-final opponent - before the Cairo king takes on fellow countryman Amr Shabana in a possible semi-final. Shabana is a three-time win of the title - in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The 30-year-old left-hander from Giza will no doubt be hoping to maintain his 'odd-year' success in the championship in 2009.

France's Gregory Gaultier, runner-up in 2006 and 2007, is the event's second seed [although by the time of the event he will have become world number one] and the candidate expected to face Darwish in the final. The 26-year-old world number two from Aix-en-Provence, who stretched Darwish to five games in last week's Sky Open final, opens his Kuwait campaign against Scottish qualifier Alan Clyne - and is expected to line up against Englishman Nick Matthew, the British Open champion who is ranked five in the world, in the quarter-finals.

The other semi-final predicted by the draw would see Gaultier take on Egypt's world No4 Ramy Ashour, the defending champion from Cairo. The pair staged a mighty last four clash last week in Cairo, with the Frenchman ultimately emerging successful in five games, after 70 minutes.

Australia's David Palmer is another former champion who represents a formidable threat. Winner of the title in 2002 and 2006, the US-based world No6 is in Shabana's quarter of the draw - and faces French qualifier Julien Balbo in the opening round.

Wildcard Abdullah Almezayen, the Kuwaiti number one, has been drawn to face Omar Mosaad of Egypt, the 25th seed.