Diego Elias wins Canadian Open 2024 presented by AirSprint Private Aviation

Top seed Diego Elias overcame a spirited challenge from Mazen Hesham to be crowned 2024 Canadian Open champion at the Bow Valley Athletic Club in Calgary. The Peruvian, who is targeting a return to World No.1, survived a determined fightback from his Egyptian rival to claim his second PSA World Tour title of the 2023-24 squash season with a hard-fought 11-2 11-2 9-11 11-8 victory.

Boasting an impressive 13-4 record against Mazen Hesham, including a recent straight-game victory in the quarter-finals of the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions in New York, Diego Elias showed impeccable defensive skills in the opening stages of the eagerly anticipated final to claim the first two games convincingly and establish a seemingly unassailable 8-3 lead in the third.

However, Hesham, who has shown exceptional form throughout the season, notably a gruelling 77-minute five-game victory over Elias in the semi-finals of the SmartCentres Kinetic Florida Squash Open in January, battled to change the momentum of the match. Chasing every ball in a succession of protracted and punishing rallies, the mercurial Egyptian rallied to secure eight of the subsequent nine points to defy the odds and claw his way back into the match by capturing the third game.

The fourth game unfolded as a nail-biting affair, with both players visibly fatigued. Trading points relentlessly, the former World No.1 eventually managed to reclaim the momentum, reinstating his consistent line hitting and forcing errors from his challenger to claim a memorable 68 minute victory.

Professional Squash Association (PSA) Canadian Squash Open presented by AirSprint Private Aviation 2024, Bow Valley Athletic Club, Calgary, Canada
Final:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bt [2] Mazen Hesham (EGY) 11-2, 11-2, 9-11, 11-8 (68m)

Top seed Diego Elias of Peru and 2nd seed Mazen Hesham of Egypt will face each other in the final of the 2024 Canadian Squash Open, presented by AirSprint Private Aviation, following convincing semi-final victories over Farkas Balazs and Youssef Soliman respectively.

Diego Elias progressed to his third PSA World Tour final of the year following a one-sided 11-2 11-3 11-3 victory over Hungarian No.1 Farkas Balaz, whilst Mazen Hesham defeated compatriot and 3rd seed Youssef Soliman 11-6 11-5 11-4.

Professional Squash Association (PSA) Canadian Squash Open presented by AirSprint Private Aviation 2024, Bow Valley Athletic Club, Calgary, Canada

Semi-Finals:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bt [9/16] Farkas Balazs (HUN) 11-2, 11-3, 11-3 (27m)
[2] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt [3] Youssef Soliman (EGY) 11-6, 11-5, 11-4 (46m)

Professional Squash Association (PSA) Canadian Squash Open presented by AirSprint Private Aviation 2024, Bow Valley Athletic Club, Calgary, Canada
Quarter-Finals:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bt [8] David Baillargeon (CAN) 11-0, 11-6, 11-2 (27m)
Farkas Balazs (HUN) bt [7] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 11-6, 11-7, 11-9 (52m)
[3] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt [5] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 11-7, 11-2, 11-8 (41m)
[2] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 11-9, 11-9, 11-9 (41m)

Professional Squash Association (PSA) Canadian Squash Open presented by AirSprint Private Aviation 2024, Bow Valley Athletic Club, Calgary, Canada
2nd Round:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bt Todd Harrity (USA) 11-8, 11-3, 11-5 (37m)
[8] David Baillargeon (CAN) bt Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) 10-12, 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (50m)
[7] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bt Rui Soares (POR) 11-7, 11-9, 11-2 (36m)
Farkas Balazs (HUN) bt [4] Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) 11-5, 11-8, 11-8 (40m)
[3] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR) 11-2, 11-5, 11-3 (28m)
[5] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt Abhay Singh (IND) 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-4 (38m)
Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt [6] Auguste Dussourd (FRA) 11-3, 11-4, 9-11, 11-3 (46m)
[2] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt Tom Walsh (ENG) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 (41m)

Professional Squash Association (PSA) Canadian Squash Open presented by AirSprint Private Aviation 2024, Bow Valley Athletic Club, Calgary, Canada
1st Round:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bye
Todd Harrity (USA) bt Joseph White (AUS) 11-6, 11-9, 11-2 (35m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt [WC] Connor Turk (CAN) 11-8, 11-3, 11-3 (24m)
[8] David Baillargeon (CAN) bye
[7] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bye
Rui Soares (POR) bt Mazen Gamal (EGY) 11-6, 11-8, 11-9 (31m)
Farkas Balazs (HUN) bt Alejandro Reyes (MEX) 11-6, 13-11, 11-1 (35m)
[4] Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) bye
[3] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bye
Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR) bt Tayyab Aslam (PAK) 11-7, 11-3, 11-5 (24m)
Abhay Singh (IND) bt Ben Smith (ENG) 11-8, 14-12, 11-5 (44m)
[5] Nicolas Müller (SUI) bye
[6] Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bye
Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt Sanjay Jeeva (MAS) 11-6, 10-12, 11-7, 11-6 (54m)
Tom Walsh (ENG) bt Edgar Ramirez (COL) 11-8, 11-9, 11-8 (41m)
[2] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bye

The eagerly anticipated Canadian Squash Open 2024, proudly presented by AirSprint Private Aviation, features an impressive player lineup who will compete for the prestigious PSA World Tour Silver title in Calgary, including UNSQUASHABLE players Todd Harrity and Yannick Wilhelmi.

This year’s Canadian Squash Open will take place at the Bow Valley Athletic Club from the 3rd to 7th March.

Former World No.1 Diego Elias, who enters as the top seed, will be aiming to clinch his second PSA World Tour title of the 2023-24 squash season. Fresh from a triumphant victory at the Motor City Squash Open in February, the formidable 'Peruvian Puma' seeks redemption following a narrow quarter-final defeat at the hands of Egypt's Mostafa Asal in the Windy City Squash Open 2024 presented by The Walter Family.

However, Diego Elias faces stiff competition on Canadian soil, notably from the talented World No.7, Mazen Hesham. Arriving with momentum from a recent semi-final appearance in Chicago and runner-up finishes in Florida and Houston, the 'Black Falcon' boasts victories over top-ten contenders including Mohamed ElShorbagy, Mostafa Asal as well as Diego Elias himself. As the second seed, Mazem Hesham sets his sights on a promising start against either England's Tom Walsh or Colombia's Edgar Ramirez.

Securing the third seed is the dynamic Youssef Soliman, fresh off his triumph at the Squash On Fire Open. Positioned in the same bracket as Hesham, the Egyptian dynamo, presently ranked World No.12, eyes a potential showdown with Daniel Poleshchuk in the second round, setting the stage for a thrilling clash with fifth-seeded Nicolas Mueller in the quarter-finals.

Domestic aspirations rest on the shoulders of Canadian talents Connor Turk and David Baillargeon. Connor Turk, a wildcard entry in 2023, earned his place through a wildcard playoff for the 2024 event. Ranked World No.201, Connor Turk embarks on his campaign against Ryunosuke Tsukue, setting the stage for a potential all-Canadian showdown with David Baillargeon in the second round.

Elsewhere in the draw, Qatar's Abdulla Al-Tamimi assumes the fourth seed, with France's Auguste Dussourd and Switzerland's Dimitri Steinmann claiming the sixth and eighth seeds, respectively.

World No.2 Diego Elias has been designated as the top seed for the upcoming Canadian Squash Open presented by AirSprint Private Aviation which marks its return of the Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour to Calgary from the 3rd to 7th March.

The PSA Silver World Tour will feature an all-glass show court erected in Oxford Properties’ Bow Valley Square.

Fresh from his recent successful defence at the Motor City Squash Open in Detroit, where he clinched his first title of the 2023-24 squash season by defeating the formidable Paul Coll in three games, Diego Elias, the former World No.1, will be keen to add to his tally of PSA World Tour events having previously won two events in Canada.

Egypt's Mazen Hesham, ranked World No.7, is the No.2 seed for the event, riding on a wave of consistent performances this season. With only one quarter-final absence so far, Mazen Hesham plays with an entertaining style that promises to captivate the Canadian audience once more. Following his recent runner-up finish at the Florida Squash Open, the 29-year-old eyes his ninth career title.

Occupying the No.3 and No.4 seeding positions are Marwan ElShorbagy and Youssef Soliman, each bringing their own blend of skill and determination to the court. Marwan ElShorbagy, returning to Canada for the first time since 2019, seeks to build on the momentum garnered towards the end of 2023, while Youssef Soliman, who started the 2023-24 squash season in Canada with a runner-up finish at the Windsor Squash Cup, will be keen to go one further in Calgary.

France's Gregoire Marche and Auguste Dussourd, Switzerland's Nicolas Mueller and Qatar's Abdulla Al Tamimi hold the 5/8 seeding positions.

Adding intrigue to the competition is the return of last year's wildcard, Connor Turk, who clinched his spot through a hard-fought playoff. Currently ranked World No.156, Connar Turk aims to leverage the fervent home support as he faces Japan's Ryunosuke Tsukue in the opening round.

Professional Squash Association (PSA) Canadian Squash Open 2024 presented by AirSprint Private Aviation
Men’s 1st Round:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bye
Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) v [9/16] Todd Harrity (USA)
[9/16] Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) v Connor Turk (CAN)
[8] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bye
[5] Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) bye
Mazen Gamal (EGY) v [9/16] Rui Soares (POR)
[9/16] Farkas Balazs (HUN) v Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR)
[3] Marwan Elshorbagy (ENG) bye
[4] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bye
Tayyab Aslam (PAK) v [9/16] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL)
[9/16] David Baillargeon (CAN) v Ben Smith (ENG)
[6] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bye
[7] Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bye
Tom Walsh (ENG) v [9/16] Nick Wall (ENG)
[9/16] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) v Abhay Singh (IND)
[2] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bye