World champion Karim Abdel Gawad of Egypt's could meet defending champion Mohamed El Shorbagy in the semi-finals ©PSA

World champion Karim Abdel Gawad of Egypt is in the same side of the draw as his compatriot and defending champion Mohamed El Shorbagy at the Professional Squash Association (PSA) US Open. 

Draw details released by the PSA today show that Gawad, seeded second, is due to meet the former world number in the semi-finals at the 2017-2018 season-opening tournament being played at Drexel University in Philadelphia between October 7 and 14.

However, he will first have to deal with the opening round challenge of New Zealand's Paul Coll, currently ranked 12th in the world.

Elsewhere, France's world number one Gregory Gaultier will get his tournament underway against Australia’s Cameron Pilley.

The top seed set to face a potential semi-final against last year’s runner-up Nick Matthew of England.

France's world number one Gregory Gaultier, left, will play Australia's Cameron Pilley in the first round ©PSA
France's world number one Gregory Gaultier, left, will play Australia's Cameron Pilley in the first round ©PSA

Another hugely talented Egyptian player, three-times world champion Ramy Ashour, will take on tournament wildcard Christopher Gordon of the United States.

The women’s defending champion Camille Serme of France will begin her tournament against American wildcard Haley Mendez and she is seeded to meet World Championship runner-up Raneem El Welily of Egypt in the semi-finals.

The top half of the draw will see world number one Nour El Sherbini, who lost to Serme in last year’s final, take on fellow Egyptian Mariam Metwally on day one.

World number four Laura Massaro, the 2011 and 2015 women's champion, is seeded on the same side of the draw as El Sherbini and the English player will line up against compatriot Millie Tomlinson in the opening round.