England’s Emily Whitlock & Egypt’s Nour El Tayeb

London, Mar 13, 2014: Players from 16 nations – covering five continents – will be fighting for the eight qualifying slots in next week’s Penang CIMB Women’s World Squash Championship in Penang, Malaysia, according to the draw released today by the Women’s Squash Association (WSA).

Qualifying in the $120,000 event gets underway at the Nicol David International Squash Centre this Saturday before main draw action moves to the SPICE Arena from Tuesday (18 March) when play will be conducted on an all-glass showcourt through to the final on Sunday 23 March.

England’s Emily Whitlock (featured image) is the top seed in the qualifying competition. The 20-year-old world No 25 from Colwyn Bay in Wales is bidding to make her World Championship debut. After a bye in the first round, Whitlock takes on the winner of the match between local hope Nur Aliah Anis and Korea’s Eun Chan Ahn, winner of the Malaysian Tour Squash Circuit 1 earlier in the month.

Egypt’s Nour El Tayeb is the highest-ranked player in the qualifying draw. The 21-year-old world No18 from Cairo also has a bye in the opening round before beginning her world championship campaign against either of the Malaysian teenagers Aika Azman or Ooi Kah Yan.

A successful qualifying campaign in Penang will see El Tayeb (pictured above) make a fifth successive appearance in the event’s first round since 2009.

1st qualifying round draw:

Emily Whitlock (ENG) bye

Eun Chan Ahn (KOR) v Nur Aliah Anis (MAS)

Megan Craig (NZL) bye

Sarah Cardwell (AUS) bye

Heba El Torky (EGY) bye

Rachel Arnold (MAS) v Sara Chew Rou-Yi (MAS)

Deon Saffery (WAL) bye

Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bye

Siyoli Waters (RSA) bye

Lotte Eriksen (NOR) v Aifa Azman (MAS)

Lisa Aitken (ENG) bye

Christine Nunn (AUS) v Nazihah Hanis (MAS)

Tesni Evans (WAL) bye

Celine Yeap (MAS) v Lim Jee Nee (MAS)

Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) bye

Olga Ertlova (CZE) bye

Pushppa Devi (MAS) v Lai Wen Li (MAS)

Milou van der Heijden (NED) bye

Habiba Mohamed Ahmed Alymohmed (EGY) bye

Delia Arnold (MAS) bye

Teh Min Jie (MAS) v Zetty Zawannah (MAS)

Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) bye

Karina Heredia Gonzalez (MEX) v S Sivasangari (MAS)

Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) bye

Aparajitha Balamurukan (IND) v Andrea Lee (MAS)

Kylie Lindsay (NZL) bye

Zulhijjah Binti Azan (MAS) v Satomi Watanabe (JPN)

Samantha Cornett (CAN) bye

Zoe Foo (MAS) v Teh Min Ern (MAS)

Lisa Camilleri (AUS) bye

Aika Azman (MAS) v Ooi Kah Yan (MAS)

Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bye. —- WSA