Just five days after winning the internationalSPORTgroup British Open crown for the second time, England's Nick Matthew will be back in action in Egypt in the first PSA World Tour Super Series Platinum event of the year.
The $147,500 Sky Open, in Cairo from 19-23 September, has attracted 17 of the world's top 20 players - led by the home country's world number one Karim Darwish.
Matthew, the fifth seed, will face local wildcard player Karim AGA Samy in the opening round – and is expected to face favourite Darwish in the quarter-finals. Darwish, who has held the world's top ranking throughout the year, will line up in the first round against rising star Omar Mosaad, a fellow countryman.
James Willstrop, the world No9 who met Matthew in the first all-English British Open final for 70 years, is the No10 seed – and will first face Pakistani Farhan Mehboob.
Darwish is expected to face compatriot Amr Shabana, his predecessor as world number one, in the semi-finals.
Frenchman Gregory Gaultier is the No2 seed. The world number two from Aix-en-Provence will first meet Egyptian Tarek Momen – but has a predicted quarter-final clash with fellow countryman Thierry Lincou, the former world number one who is the seventh seed.
Wael El Hindi - the former world No8 who won the 2008 Sky Open title against expectations, beating Darwish in the final – is seeded nine, and drawn to face a qualifier in the opening round.
1st round draw:
[1] Karim Darwish (EGY) v Omar Mosaad (EGY)
[13] Stewart Boswell (AUS) v Qualifier
[5] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Karim AGA Samy (EGY)
[16] Cameron Pilley (AUS) v Ong Beng Hee (MAS)
[4] Amr Shabana (EGY) v Qualifier
[11] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) v Qualifier
[8] Adrian Grant (ENG) v Qualifier
[12] Alister Walker (ENG) v Qualifier
[10] James Willstrop (ENG) v Farhan Mehboob (PAK)
[6] Peter Barker (ENG) v Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY)
[14] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) v Qualifier
[3] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v Qualifier
[9] Wael El Hindi (EGY) v Qualifier
[7] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
[15] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) v Olli Tuominen (FIN)
[2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Tarek Momen (EGY)