Peter Barker, the Essex left-hander who was runner-up in last year’s China Open, will lead a two-pronged English challenge for the 2015 trophy in Shanghai in September.
The world no.7 (pictured) has been seeded fifth for the $100,000 event, which has attracted many of the world’s top players – including world no.1 Mohamed Elshorbagy and world no.3 Greg Gaultier – after the prize money was boosted by $12,000 from last year.
Barker, who faces a qualifier in round one, will be joined on the plane to China by county colleague Daryl Selby, a quarter-finalist last year. The world no.15 takes on eighth seed Borja Golan, of Spain, in his opener.
Alongside the M100 event is a women’s $58,000 tournament, which includes three English players – Warwickshire’s Sarah-Jane Perry and Emma Beddoes, and Yorkshire’s Jenny Duncalf.
Perry and Beddoes have both been seeded – at seven and eight respectively – with Perry taking on a qualifier and Beddoes facing Malaysian wildcard Teh Min Jie, while Duncalf meets third seed Camille Serme, the new Allam British Open champion from France.
The two tournaments run from September 3 to 6.
Story courtesy of englandsquashandracketball.com