Motor City Open 2023 preview: Coll leads strong field, Elias back to defend title
by Henry Payne
Birmingham, Michigan – The Motor City is ready to rumble.
Five of the world’s top 10 men will compete in the Sturbridge Capital Motor City Open, February 1-5, at the Birmingham Athletic Club in Bloomfield Hills. USA. Leading the charge is World #3 and top seed Paul Coll – but he will have to go through World #5 and defending champion Diego Elias of Peru to win his first MCO title.
The good friends met in the MCO semifinals a year with Elias winning in four games on his way to becoming the first player to win the tourney in consecutive years. His two titles also matches that of his coach, Jonathan Power, former World #1 from Canada.
Diego Elias played near error-free squash in the 2022 MCO final. (MCO photo)
Elias, who will be the #2 seed at the MCO, continued his strong form through 2022, including finishing as runner-up at the inaugural Optasia Championships in Wimbledon, England. A second final appearance in 2022 came at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, where he bowed to World #1 Ali Farag. He then won the Necker Mauritius Open Presented by Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels and made at least the semi-finals of his last six outings. In October he won the U.S. Open in Philadelphia, then made it to the finals in both the MARIGOLD Singapore Squash Open and the Everbright Securities International Hong Kong Squash Open to end the year.
Elias isn’t the only returning Motor City champion. Egypt’s Mohamed Abouelghar, coming back from a 13-month injury layoff, conquered Elias in the 2019 final. And 2015 champion Miguel Rodriguez of Colombia, 37 years old ad still flying around the court, has returned as well.
Rounding out the top seeds are #3-seed Tarek Momen (World #7) and #4 seed seed and world #9 Mazen Hesham, both Egyptians. Their countrymen, World #8 Fares Dessouky, is seeded fifth, hoping for another strong run at the MCO after making it to the finals against Elias in 2022.
“Superman” Paul Coll is back as #1 seed. (MCO photo by Brendan Temple)
The United States #1 (and World #29) Shahjahan Khan will be on hand. The 27-year-old takes on World #43 Nathan Lake in the first round. Another Yankee, World #49 Faraz Khan, faces England’s Adrian Waller, World #34, in the first round.
Coverage of this year’s 2023 Sturbridge Capital Motor City Open will be delivered by the SQUASHTV Lite cameras for the first time. The semi-finals and the final will be shown live on SQUASHTV, with streaming from the early rounds available via the PSA website.
Tickets for the 2023 Sturbridge Capital Motor City Open are available for purchase by phone or email. Call (248) 646-1663 or email jwellings@bacmi.net to purchase.
Draw, Round 1
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) [bye]
Lucas Serme (FRA) v Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)
Cesar Salazar (MEX) v Karim El Hammamy (EGY)
[5] Fares Dessouky (EGY) [bye]
[7] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) [bye]
Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) v George Parker (ENG)
Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) v Ramit Tandon (IND)
[4] Mazen Hesham (EGY) [bye]
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) [bye]
Henry Leung (HKG) v Youssef Ibrahim (EGY)
Adrian Waller (ENG) v Faraz Khan (USA)
[6] Youssef Soliman (EGY) [bye]
[8] Gregoire Marche (FRA) [bye]
Nathan Lake (ENG) v Shahjahan Khan (USA)
Leonel Cardenas (MEX) v Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
[2] Diego Elias (PER) [bye]
