Tough Assignment For Gaultier In Fourth European Title Bid
But, despite home advantage, the world No4 from Aix-en-Provence will face stiff competition – not only from fellow countryman Thierry Lincou, the No2 seed, but also from a high-quality field which includes English rivals Nick Matthew and Adrian Grant, the two 3/4 seeds.
Both Frenchmen are making comebacks from injury setbacks – playing in their first event since missing April's Qatar Classic on the PSA Tour. Furthermore, neither was able to represent their country in the European Team Championships in Italy in May – leaving Matthew and Grant, ranked 8 and 15, respectively, in the world, to lead England to their 15th successive triumph.
Gaultier will face the winner of the qualifying match between Nikolay Angelov (Bulgaria) and Marios Yiannou (Cyprus) in the first round, while Lincou, the world No5 from Marseille, will take on either Peter Kviecinsky (Slovakia) or Igor Pejic (Slovenia).
The women’s event predicts an all-English final, in which defending champion Jenny Duncalf is expected to meet top seed Tania Bailey. Second seed Duncalf, the world No10 from Harrogate in Yorkshire, is expected to face local opposition in the second round after a bye in the first - though France’s 9/16 seed Charlotte Delsinne will first have to beat unseeded Czech Jana Smeralova in the first round.
Bailey, the world No4 from Stamford in Lincolnshire who surrendered her British National Championship title to Duncalf in February, also has a bye in the first round – and will then face the winner of the match between Spain’s Laura Alonso Perez and Austria’s 9/16 seed Birgit Coufal.
This is the fourth year of the prestigious European Squash Federation event - but the first year in France - which is exclusively for Europeans. The men’s championship boasts 43 entries from 20 countries while the women’s event has 26 entries from 14 countries.
Men's 1st round draw:
[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Qualifier
[9/16] Tom Hoevenaars (NED) v Aqeel Rehman (AUT)
[9/16] Simon Rosner (GER) v Qualifier
[5/8] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) v Qualifier
[5/8] Peter Barker (ENG) v Qualifier
[9/16] Jean-Michel Arcucci (FRA) v Gustav Detter (SWE)
[9/16] Badr Abdel Aziz (SWE) v Romain Tenant (FRA)
[3/4] Adrian Grant (ENG) v Qualifier
[3/4] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Qualifier
[9/16] Julien Balbo (FRA) v Patrick Gaessler (GER)
[9/16] Mark Krajcsak (HUN) v Qualifier
[5/8] Renan Lavigne (FRA) v Qualifier
[5/8] Borja Golan (ESP) v Qualifier
[9/16] Dylan Bennett (NED) v Qualifier
[9/16] Christian Drakenberg (SWE) v Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
[2] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v Qualifier
Men's qualifying draw:
Nikolay Angelov (BUL) v Marios Yiannou (CYP)
Gregory Lecerf (BEL) v Kostyantyn Rybalchenko (UKR)
Domagoj Spoljar (CRO) v Viktor Kovalchuk (UKR)
Petros Tzamaloukas (GRE) v Nikolas Paphtis (CYP)
Petr Martin (CZE) v Pavel Opronenko (UKR)
Alexei Severinov (RUS) v Martin Kostolansky (SVK)
Sebastian Victor (SWE) v Roman Fetisov (RUS)
Ivan Djordjevic (SRB) v Sergey Kostrikin (RUS)
Marek Manik (SVK) v Artem Beba (UKR)
Jakob Dirnberger (AUT) v Lukasz Nitka (POL)
Peter Kviecinsky (SVK) v Igor Pejic (SLO)
Women's 1st round draw:
[1] Tania Bailey (ENG) bye
[9/16] Birgit Coufal (AUT) v Laura Alonso Perez (ESP)
[9/16] Celia Allamargot (FRA) v Vaso Karasava (CYP)
[5/8] Pamela Pancis (AUT) v Diana Leguss (EST)
[5/8] Orla Noom (NED) bye
[9/16] Daniela Schumann (GER) v Ekatarina Glinchikova (RUS)
[9/16] Zuzana Vackova (CZE) v Laura Pomportes (FRA)
[3/4] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bye
[3/4] Annelize Naude (NED) bye
[9/16] Laurence Bois (FRA) v Linda Hruzikova (SVK)
[9/16] Anna-Carin Forstadius (SWE) v Olga Ertlova (CZE)
[5/8] Annabel Romedenne (BEL) v Zdravka Marselova (BUL)
[5/8] Margriet Huisman (NED) bye
[9/16] Soraya Renai (FRA) v Femke Ellens (CYP)
[9/16] Charlotte Delsinne (FRA) v Jana Smeralova (CZE)
[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bye