Sobhy Named Top Seed for 2022 Cleveland Classic

The draw for the 2022 Cleveland Classic, PSA World Tour Bronze event has been released, with US No.1 Amanda Sobhy heading up the draw for the event which will take place from January 27-31 at the Cleveland Racquet Club.

Sobhy is seeded to play No.2 seed and World No.5 Sarah-Jane Perry, from England, in the final. The pair have met eight times on the PSA World Tour, with Sobhy holding a 5-3 advantage over Perry in their head-to-head record. The last time the two met was at the Bahl & Gaynor Cincinnati Gaynor Cup final in 2020, where Sobhy claimed the title in a 45-minute, 3-1 victory.

Meanwhile, defending champion Nour El Tayeb returns to Cleveland to retain the title that she picked up two years ago. It will be El Tayeb’s second event back on the PSA World Tour after giving birth to her first child, Farida, earlier in 2021. She will face either Ineta Mackevica from Latvia or Malaysia’s Aifa Azman in her first match.

There is plenty of home interest in the draw aside from Sobhy, with Olivia Fiechter and Olivia Clyne occupying the 5/8 seeded positions. Sobhy's younger sister, Sabrina, will also fly the flag for the USA, as well as Haley Mendez and 16-year-old tournament wildcard Caroline Fouts.

England’s Georgina Kennedy will be a dark horse for the event. The World No.17 climbed an impressive 140 places in 2021 and reached her first PSA Gold semi-final at the Black Ball Sporting Club in December to break into the world's top 20.

Kennedy will face Finland’s Emilia Soini in round one, with the winner setting up a clash with No.4 seed Joshna Chinappa in round two.

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2022 Cleveland Classic: Main Draw

[1] Amanada Sobhy (USA) v bye

Enora Villard (FRA) v [9/16] Haley Mendez (USA)

[9/16] Mariam Metwally (EGY) v Cristina Gomez (ESP)

[8] Nadine Shahin (EGY) v bye

[5] Olivia Fiechter (USA) v bye

Anna Serme (CZE) v [9/16] Tinne Gilis (BEL)

[9/16] Aifa Azman (MAS) v Ineta Mackevica (LAT)

[3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v bye

[4] Joshna Chinappa (IND) v bye