Gregory Gaultier has been forced to withdraw from the competition due to injury ©Getty Images

Defending champion Gregory Gaultier of France has been forced to withdraw from the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Windy City Open at the University Club of Chicago's Cathedral Hall, following an injury suffered at the Tournament of Champions in January.

Gaultier's withdrawal due to a leg muscle tear means that Egypt's Mohamed Elshorbagy, who will overtake Gaultier as world number one on March 1, will be given the number one seeding with compatriot Ali Farag moving up to second.

Further down the pecking order, France's Mathieu Castagnet, who won a silver medal at the 2017 World Games in Wrocław, moves into the main qualifying draw as a result of Gaultier's non-entry.

Only one athlete from host country United States is set to take part in the men's draw and world number 76 Chris Hanson will face a tough challenge against four-time Commonwealth Games medallist James Willstrop of England in his first outing.

Egyptians Nour El Sherbini, front, and Raneem El Welily, back, are likely to meet in the final of the Windy City Open ©Getty Images
Egyptians Nour El Sherbini, front, and Raneem El Welily, back, are likely to meet in the final of the Windy City Open ©Getty Images

Egypt's Nour El Sherbini is the number one seed in the women's draw and, if all goes to plan for her, she will meet compatriot Raneem El Welily in the final, which would be a repeat of December's World Championship final.

Home hopes are likely to rest on the shoulders of Amanda Sobhy and Olivia Blatchford, who are seeded at 12 and 14 respectively.

The competition will take place from tomorrow to 28 with a prize fund of $500,000 (£357,800/€405,950) up for grabs.

The money, which is a record amount for a PSA World Series tournament, will be split equally among the men's and women's draw.