Nour El Sherbini, left, and Mohamed Elshorbagy, right, will be aiming to retain their respective men's and women's crowns at next month's Allam British Open in Hull ©PSA

World number one Mohamed Elshorbagy has been drawn against fellow Egyptian Fares Dessouky in the first round of the 2017 Allam British Open in Hull, where he will be vying for his third consecutive title and the chance to go joint-10th in the list of all-time winners.

If the 26-year-old comes through the tricky-looking tie, he could have to get past compatriot Ali Farag, who faces Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly in the first round, to reach the semi-finals of the Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Series tournament

Home favourites Nick Matthew, 10th on the all-time winners list with three titles, and former world number one James Willstrop will also have their work cut out to mount a title challenge in a high-quality men’s field.

Matthew faces tenacious Spaniard Borja Golán in the first round and could have to overcome world number 10 Simon Rösner of Germany, the in-form world number 16 Paul Coll of New Zealand and Elshorbagy to reach the final.

Willstrop, meanwhile, could meet world number six Marwan Elshorbagy of Egypt, world number three Grégory Gaultier of France and world number two Karim Abdel Gawad of Egypt if he comes through a tough opener with France’s Mathieu Castagnet.

Egyptian Ramy Ashour is also set to return to action for the first time since losing the 2016 World Championship final and could go up against the man who triumphed that day, Gawad, in the last eight.

Gawad has been in the form of his life since the World Championships, winning the Qatar Classic and Tournament of Champions, and faces former world number three and fellow countryman Omar Mosaad in the first round.

Former world number one Gaultier opens his campaign against Colombia’s Miguel Ángel Rodríguez.

Defending women's champion Nour El Sherbini, left, has been drawn against Denmark's Line Hansen in the first round ©Getty Images
Defending women's champion Nour El Sherbini, left, has been drawn against Denmark's Line Hansen in the first round ©Getty Images

In the first round of the women’s draw, which features equal prize money for the first time in tournament history, defending champion Nour El Sherbini of Egypt faces Denmark’s Line Hansen.

Any path to the final is likely to see her face the United States' Amanda Sobhy and either England’s Laura Massaro or Egypt's Raneem El Welily, who are on course to meet in the quarter-finals.

Former champion Massaro goes up against the dangerous Dipika Pallikal Karthik of India in the first round.

Five-time tournament winner Nicol David of Malaysia faces a tough opening encounter with Australian Donna Urquhart, with the winner due to meet either Egypt’s Nour El Tayeb or France’s Camille Serme in the last eight.

Serme has won the past two World Series titles, the U.S. Open and Tournament of Champions, and will be out to replicate the form that saw her win the British Open crown in 2015.

The in-form Sarah-Jane Perry, England’s number two, will hope to keep up her recent momentum in a potential last-eight encounter with 2016 runner-up Nouran Gohar of Egypt.

The 2017 Allam British Open is due to take place at Hull’s Airco Arena from March 21 to 26.

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