Allam British Open Squash Championships 2013: Dates, Schedule and Draw Info

They call it the Wimbledon of Squash, and all eyes will be on Hull this week as the British Open Squash Championship is upon us. 

Since its inception in 1930, this tournament has been the prized jewel of the squash world and is the oldest tournament on both the PSA and WSA tours. And with the big names descending on Hull this week, the tournament once again promises to be an excellent showcase for the sport.

Let's preview this year's event.

When: Saturday, May 18 to Sunday, May 26

Where: KC Stadium; Hull, England

Draw: The complete men's draw can be found here, the women here and the Masters draw here.

Schedule

Monday, May 20

Men's Round 1 – KC Stadium

Women's Qualifying Round 2 – Pontefract

Tuesday, May 21

Men's Round 1 – KC Stadium

Women's Round 1 – Pontefract

Wednesday, May 22

Men and Women Round 2 – KC Stadium

Thursday, May 23

Men and Women Round 2 – KC Stadium

Friday, May 24

Quarterfinals – KC Stadium

Saturday, May 25

Semifinals – KC Stadium

Sunday, May 26

Finals – KC Stadium

May 22-26

Masters Championships – Hull University

Preview

On the men's side, the players to watch are Sheffield's Nick Matthew and Cairo's Ramy Ashour.

Matthew is the tournament's No. 2 seed and a three-time winner of the British Open (2006, 2009, 2012), while Ashour is the defending world championship title holder (his second) and the PSA's top-ranked player.

Ashour was dominant in 2012, winning five titles, including the Australian Open, U.S. Open, Hong Kong Open and World Championship. With a 36-match winning streak heading into the British Open, it's hard to see Ashour losing. 

Other players to keep an eye on include England's James Willstrop, France's Grégory Gaultier and rising star Mohamed El Shorbagy. 

For the women, it is all about Malaysia's Nicol David. She's won four British Open titles since 2006, is currently the top-ranked player in the WSA and won a staggering eight titles last season. 

She'll be contested by England's Laura Massaro, the No. 2 seed, who lost to David in three finals in 2012. Surely, she'll be looking for revenge. And don't sleep on No. 3 seed Raneem El Weleily, who has beaten David in two of their last four meetings in the past two years (including two wins in finals) and already won the Cleveland Classic this year.

Other contenders include Alison Waters, Nour El Sherbini and Joelle King.