Get in the Mood for the Windy City Open With These Classic Encounters

Raneem El Welily takes on Nicol David in the 2015 Windy City Open final

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The PSA World Tour heads to Chicago on Thursday February 25 for the Windy City Open presented by Guggenheim Partners and EquiTrust Life Insurance with the second World Series tournament of 2016 featuring a world class field across both the Men’s and Women’s events.

Crucial points for the PSA Road to Dubai Standings are also there to be won as a host of the world’s leading players battle for honours at the prestigious University Club of Chicago.

We’ve included some of the standout fixtures from the last two years for you to get stuck into before the action begins.

2015 Men’s Windy City Open Final: Nick Matthew v Mohamed Elshorbagy

Last year’s final was a clash between a former World No.1, Nick Matthew, against the current World No.1, Mohamed Elshorbagy.

This fascinating spectacle was the latest instalment of one of the most fierce rivalries on the PSA World Tour to date with Matthew aiming to make history as he looked to overtake Egyptian legend Amr Shabana to become the oldest ever World Series title winner.

2015 Women’s Windy City Open Final: Raneem El Welily v Nicol David

Egyptian shot-making sensation Raneem El Welily headed into this final encounter against Malaysian superstar Nicol David having been eliminated by the then-World No.1 in four of her last five tournaments which included a World Championship final defeat where she squandered four match balls.

With David 17-3 up on the head-to-head record between the two, the odds were against El Welily as she looked to capture her biggest ever PSA World Tour title.

2015 Men’s Windy City Open Quarter-Final: Karim Abdel Gawad v Miguel Angel Rodriguez

Karim Abdel Gawad was ranked just inside the world’s top 20 players coming into this fixture against ‘Colombian Cannonball’ Miguel Angel Rodriguez, who had made history just the previous month by becoming the first South American player to reach the semi-final of a World Series event.

An enthralling match played out in front of a packed crowd with a range of energy-sapping rallies and inch-perfect winners bringing the gathered spectators to their feet in appreciation.

2014 Women’s Windy City Open Final: Laura Massaro v Raneem El Welily

The top two seeds went head-to-head in this five-game battle with Laura Massaro and Raneem El Welily being ranked second and third in the world, respectively.

Both players were making their Windy City Open bow as the tournament returned to the PSA World Tour calendar following a two-year hiatus.

2014 Men’s Windy City Open Semi-Final: Gregory Gaultier v Mohamed Elshorbagy

This matchup between current World Champion Gregory Gaultier and Mohamed Elshorbagy showcased both players’ physical attributes in a fascinating battle.

With a maiden Windy City Open final appearance up for grabs for both players, they went hell for leather in a bid to find the breakthrough.