Manobianco (l) pictured with Team USA’s Todd Harrity
One of the central goals of the U.S. Open is to expose the game to new people. The first fan to walk into the Daskalakis Athletic Center at Drexel for the very first match on the ASB GlassCourt was a good example.
It was John Manobianco. A native of Springfield, PA, Manobianco was a longtime racquetball player, first picking up the outdoor three-wall game in Florida and then later as a leading amateur in indoor four-wall. Three years ago while living in Albany, he switched from racquetball to squash. Now based in State College, PA, Manobianco is a meteorologist. Today was just the second time he’s attended a squash tournament.
“It is amazing to come to the U.S. Open and see all these world-class players close up,” Manobianco said. “At other sporting events, the action is so far from the stands. Here you are right up on the court. It’s fantastic.”
The Philadelphia Squash Racquets Association honored the McIntosh/Hand family at the 2018 FS Investments U.S. Open with the PSRA Service Award.
The McIntosh/Hand family have been stalwarts at the Gwynedd Racquet Club in North Wales, PA. The club—nicknamed the Church of the Holy Racquet—is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary next year. Housed in a converted Methodist church, the key club has two singles and one doubles court.
Jud Hand managed the club in the 1970s and met his wife Liz Hand there in 1979. Today, Lach McIntosh is the president of the club. “Jud, Liz, Ian and Lach help make Gwynedd one of the most special clubs in the country,” said Tim Dearnley, the president of the SRA. “We have twenty-four clubs in the PSRA, and everyone knows that Gwynedd is a real gem.” Dearnley speaks from experience: he works part-time at the club giving lessons.
The world’s oldest squash organization, the Philadelphia SRA—originally called the Philadelphia Association—was founded in 1903. Previous winners of the PSRA Service Award include Molly Pierce (2013), Ken Jaffe (2014), Frank Reidy (2015), Bill Lane (2016) and Andy Nehrbas (2017).
The 2018 FS Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships opened today at Drexel University with its traditional first-ball ceremony. The honorary starters of this year’s tournament were four people integral to the Open.
Steve DeAngelis, the president of FS Investments Solutions, helped kick off the Open. FS Investments is a leading alternative asset manager founded in 2007 and headquartered in Philadelphia; FS Investments Solutions is its wholly owned broker-dealer subsidiary.
Joining DeAngelis were three students at SquashSmarts. Philadelphia’s award-winning out-of-school-time youth squash and education program, SquashSmarts operates out of Drexel University and the Lenfest Center in North Philadelphia. Founded in 2001, SquashSmarts is the official community partner and program provider for the Arlen Specter US Squash Center. Ranson Gaymon, a sophomore at Boy’s Latin of Philadelphia Charter School and Kayla Atkinson and Tyreese Samuels, middle school students at Overbrook Educational Center, represented SquashSmarts on the court.
Last year’s starter was Laura White, the senior associate athletic director at Drexel. The FS Investments Open was founded in 1954. Since 2011 Drexel has hosted the tournament at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.
The 2018 FS Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships have arrived in Philadelphia. The world’s best squash players will vie for $338,000 of total equal prize money between men’s and women’s draws in the PSA World Tour Platinum event at Drexel University’s Daskalakis Athletic Center, October 6-13.
Here’s everything squash fans need to know going into the most action-packed week of squash in the U.S.
Tickets
Tickets are still available for all rounds with a price range available for every budget. 2018 sees the introduction of $10 Grounds Passes for Saturday and Sunday, October 6-7, providing access to matches on Kline & Specter courts 1, 4 and 5. Drexel students gain free access with student ID’s.
Multiple sessions sold out last year so book your place today before it’s too late at usopensquash.com/tickets.
Live Coverage Squash fans who can’t be in Philadelphia in person can keep tabs on all U.S. Open matches with live streaming and scores from all four courts, October 6-7, on usopensquash.com/live. For the first time, the PSA World Tour will broadcast ASB GlassCourt matches on Facebook Live October 6-11. Subscribers can enjoy all rounds from the ASB Glasscourt, October 6-13, replays and live on SquashTV.
View the full field of professionals and each match time and location on usopensquash.com/draws.
Special Events
The U.S. Open will stage a full schedule of special events celebrating the squash community in addition to the on-court matches. It’s not too late to sign up for these unique experiences that celebrate the squash community and those that make it so special.
View information for all special events and purchase tickets at www.usopensquash.com.
Auxiliary Tournaments While the world’s best players will be in the spotlight at Drexel, the celebration of squash extends to three other major squash tournaments in the greater Philadelphia area.
The nation’s best juniors will compete in the Arlen Specter Philadelphia JCT, October 6-8, at Philadelphia Cricket Club and Springside Chestnut Hill. Follow live streaming and scores on ussquash.com/live.
125 players are set to compete in the U.S. Skill Level Championships during U.S. Open finals weekend, October 13-14, at Drexel’s Kline & Specter courts and Racquet Club of Philadelphia
Married couple Ali Farag and Nour El Tayeb will aim to repeat their historic U.S. Open title run last year that saw them become the first husband and wife in sporting history to lift the same major sports title on the same day at the 2018 FS Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships, October 6-13, at Drexel University’s Daskalakis Athletic Center.
Last year, Farag and El Tayeb stunned the squash world last October with upsets over current World Champions Mohamed ElShorbagy and Raneem El Welily in their respective title deciders.
Farag was warming up for his final fixture while El Tayeb was on court against El Welily, but was in his wife’s corner between games to give her advice, while El Tayeb returned the favor during his match with ElShorbagy.
“You want to be in the right headspace before your match, you want to be relaxed and you don’t want to be tense,” said Farag, the current men’s world No. 2. “You want to warm-up properly but obviously you have to interrupt your warm-up sometimes to go and talk to her between games or to watch a crucial rally.”
The 2017 results marked the first career World Series titles for both players.
“Winning the 2017 U.S. Open championships alongside Nour, for both of us it was our first ever World Series title and when it happened I couldn’t even celebrate, I was in shock,” Farag said. “We both won it for the first time on the same day. We can forever call ourselves U.S. Open champions and it means so much to us.”
World No. 3 El Tayeb echoes her husband’s thoughts and says the couple’s mutual support of each other has helped both players break new ground and establish themselves among the world’s elite over the past couple of seasons.
“I didn’t care or know that we were the first couple, I was just happy I won it and was happy he won it, it was the first major,” El Tayeb said. “Knowing he’s there is just the thing for me, I just want to know he’s there and I can talk to him. Even if he’s out there warming up or I can call him on the phone, that’s enough. I like to get his support and see it in his eyes. His support and encouragement helps me keep going and he knows when I’m lacking motivation or too excited.”
Farag and El Tayeb both receive a bye into the second round, where Farag will meet Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller, while he is seeded to meet ElShorbagy in the final once again. The Harvard graduate enters the U.S. Open in good form having defeated ElShorbagy in the Oracle NetSuite Open final Tuesday night in San Francisco.
El Tayeb, meanwhile, will face either India’s Dipika Pallikal Karthik or Canada’s Danielle Letourneau in the last 32 and is seeded to reach the semifinals, where she could play world No.1 Nour El Sherbini, who she beat in the quarter-finals of last year’s U.S. Open.
The U.S. Open, PSA World Tour Platinum event will feature equal prize money between the men’s and women’s tournaments for the sixth year in a row, with the tournament boasting a $338,000 prize fund. A place at the PSA World Tour Finals will also be up for grabs, with both the men’s and women’s winners guaranteeing their places at the season-ending tournament.
Team USA’s Olivia Blatchford Clyne and Harvard’s Mike Way will be recognized as the 2017 United States Olympic Committee athlete and coach of the year during the 2018 FS Investments U.S Open.
2017 was the most successful year to date of Blatchford Clyne’s professional career. The New York native entered ranked world No. 27 and finished at No. 12, an extraordinary leap at the elite level. She won her first National Singles title, reached the finals of the Cuidad de Floridablanca, a new tournament in Colombia, the quarterfinals of the Oracle Netsuite Open in San Francisco and the second round at the U.S. Open. Today, the twenty-five year-old is ranked world No. 16.
Since 1991, the USOC Athlete of the Year has been US Squash’s highest award for achievement in international competition. Eighteen previous athletes have been honored with the award, including last year’s honoree Reeham Sedky.
Blatchford Clyne will be honored on the ASB Glasscourt on the evening of Wednesday, October 10 at the U.S. Open during Women in Sports Day.
For the past seven seasons, Mike Way has been the head coach at Harvard and has led the Crimson to unprecedented heights. The women’s team has won six national team titles during his tenure, and currently maintains a winning streak of three straight titles and fifty-three consecutive dual matches, the second-longest in Harvard’s history. On the men’s side, Way coached the Crimson to a national team title in 2014.
Way has mentored world-class players at Harvard, including current world No. 2 Ali Farag—who won the men’s national intercollegiate individual title in 2012 and 2014—and U.S. No. 1 Amanda Sobhy who went undefeated in college and captured four straight individual titles from 2012-2015. Way also coached Georgina Kennedy and David Ryan to individual titles in 2017 and 2018, respectively. In addition, Farag was awarded the Skillman Award in 2014 and Sobhy the Richey Award in 2015, both for sportsmanship.
Since 1998, the USOC National Coach of the Year has honored the best coaches at the highest levels of the game. Last year’s honoree was Laurent Elriani of the Heights Casino in Brooklyn.
Way will be honored on the ASB Glasscourt on the evening of Tuesday, October 9 at the U.S. Open during Character in Sports Day.
Philadelphia based investment firm celebrates global tradition on Drexel University campus
Philadelphia based investment firm celebrates global tradition on Drexel University campus
Philadelphia, PA – October 2, 2018 – Beginning on Saturday, Philadelphia will host the 2018 U.S. Open Squash Championship with a new title sponsor, FS Investments. The event will be held October 6-13, 2018 at Drexel University and is considered the most prestigious squash tournament in the United States, showcasing the top players from around the world.
Executives from FS Investments will participate in a series of events throughout the week to highlight values the company shares with US Open Squash – providing access, working with the community and pursuing excellence. FS’s support will directly underwrite US Open Squash’s in-kind partnership with Philadelphia’s award-winning SquashSmarts program, which provides underserved youth from public schools academic mentoring and access to the sport.
“At FS, we believe it’s important to support our city and its institutions,” said Michael C. Forman, Chairman and CEO of FS Investments. “In sponsoring the U.S. Open Squash Championship we are helping drive Philadelphia’s position as a global city, promoting Drexel University and expanding resources for SquashSmarts and the students it serves.”
FS Investments Executive Involvement:
Oct. 6: Steve DeAngelis, President & Head of Distribution, will kick off the U.S. Open with the First Ball.
Oct. 9: Steve DeAngelis will present the awards for sportsmanship during the Character in Sports Day.
Oct. 10: Lisa Detwiler, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, will provide remarks during the Women in Sports event on October 10th, where Julieanne Harris will be awarded the achievement Bowl for her notable contributions to the advancement of squash.
Oct. 11: Michael F. Gerber, Executive Vice President will help kickoff an important announcement regarding the Arlen Specter National Center.
Oct. 13: Michael C. Forman, Chairman & CEO, will present the trophy to the winners of the tournament.
“We are very excited about our partnership with FS Investments,” said US Squash President and CEO Kevin Klipstein. “Their engagement will help bolster the U.S. Open as a premiere Philadelphia sports event and world-leading squash championship. FS Investments shares our values of access, community and excellence and helps us deliver on our mission to use squash to support communities and create opportunity for those who most need it.”
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said, “I want to thank FS for the strong corporate leadership it provides Philadelphia, its commitment to the community through the FS Foundation, and its sponsorship of the U.S. Open Squash Championship, an event we are extremely proud to host here in our beloved Philadelphia.”
The U.S. Open is the longest-standing premiere professional squash tournament in the U.S. and showcases the best female and male athletes from around the world in the eight-day Platinum Professional Squash Association (PSA) championships. Hosted in partnership with Drexel University since 2011, the Open has been a leader on the PSA Tour, pioneering prize money parity for women and men in 2013 as well as forward-thinking creative approaches to event presentation and community engagement. It hosts events throughout the week for the local community as well as celebrating equality, sportsmanship and the women’s sports community.
Here is a link to a promotional video produced by FS Investments for the event. Credit: FS Investments
About U.S. Open Squash:
The U.S. Open Squash Championships is a PSA World Tour Platinum event and one of the most prestigious titles in the U.S. and worldwide. Established in 1954, the U.S. Open attracts the top professional squash players to Philadelphia and brings together the squash community for a week-long celebration of the sport.
About FS Investments:
FS Investments is a leading asset manager dedicated to helping individuals, financial professionals and institutions design better portfolios. The firm provides access to alternative sources of income and growth, and focuses on setting industry standards for investor protection, education and transparency.
FS Investments is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA with offices in New York, NY, Orlando, FL and Washington, DC. Visit www.fsinvestments.com to learn more.
About SquashSmarts:
SquashSmarts is dedicated to improving the lives of underserved youth from Philadelphia public schools by providing intensive, long-term academic tutoring and squash instruction while imparting high standards of personal integrity, health and fitness, and service to the community.
SquashSmarts is a 501c3 non-profit headquartered in Philadelphia, PA with program locations at Drexel University and The Lenfest Center. Visit www.squashsmarts.org to learn more.
Three members of Team USA’s Women’s World Team Championship squad will compete in the U.S. Open. (l-r): Sabrina Sobhy, Olivia Blatchford, Reeham Sedky, Amanda Sobhy
Eight players will represent Team USA at the 2018 FS Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships during the first weekend of action, October 6-7, at Drexel University’s Daskalaskis Athletic Center in Philadelphia.
Following the PSA tour’s restructuring this season, the 2018 U.S. Open marks the first year without qualifying rounds, which often fielded local and college players in the early rounds. This year with 48-player men’s and women’s main draws, eight Americans—five women and three men—including a few ASB GlassCourt debuts.
On the men’s side, Wayne, Pennsylvania’s Todd Harrity will make his glass court debut in his eighth straight U.S. Open appearance. Fresh off winning his third career PSA title in Portugal this weekend, the world No. 50 will take on Australian veteran Cameron Pilley Saturday, October 6, at 6:30pm.
“It was great to win the Madeira Open, it’s been a long time since I’ve won an event and it’s a great feeling,” Harrity said. “I definitely want to carry this momentum into the U.S. Open. I’ve been feeling good and it’s been a great start to the season.”
Harrity started playing squash at Merion Cricket Club, and earned national titles for his high school, Episcopal Academy, and college, Princeton, before turning professional in 2013.
“I’m very much looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd,” Harrity said. “It’s a great opportunity to play a big match like this on an all-glass show court in my home city.”
Harrity is joined by wild cards Chris Gordon and Andrew Douglas in the men’s draw. Gordon, world No. 67, is set for his seventh consecutive U.S. Open wild card appearance and will take on England’s world No. 23 Declan James Saturday, October 6, at 2:30pm on Drexel’s Kline & Specter Court 1. Later that afternoon Douglas, a Penn sophomore, will make his U.S. Open main draw debut against France’s former world No. 6 Mathieu Castagnet at 4:45pm on the ASB GlassCourt.
On the women’s side, world No. 14 Olivia Blatchford is the sole American to enjoy a first-round bye as the twenty-five-year-old awaits either Hong Kong’s Liu Tsz-Ling or England’s Emily Whitlock on the ASB GlassCourt Sunday, October 7, at 4pm.
After missing the 2017 U.S. Open due to injury, Amanda Sobhy returns to Philadelphia in hopes of replicating her 2016 semifinal run. The world No. 18 opens her campaign against Hong Kong’s Tong Tsz-Wing Saturday, October 6, at 5:45pm on the ASB GlassCourt.
World No. 43 Haley Mendez qualifies for her first U.S. Open main draw based on ranking after her 2017 wild card appearance, and will play Egypt’s Nadine Shahin in one of the first matches on Drexel’s Court 1 Saturday, October 6, at 1:45pm.
Penn’s 2018 Intercollegiate national champion Reeham Sedky will hope to make waves on the professional level again as one of two women’s wild cards. In April, Sedky reached the final of the Texas Open as a qualifier, where she lost in the final against U.S. teammate Amanda Sobhy.
“Playing in the US Open main draw in my college town is something I have been dreaming of for a long time–especially given that it’s my last year at Penn,” Sedky said. “For the past couple of years, I have only been in the qualifying draws so to finally be in the main draw is a fantastic opportunity. Given that this is my biggest main draw appearance, I plan to make the best of the moment, and I’m so excited to have friends and family come support me.”
In the past month, the Seattle, Washington-native has competed in two glass court events, the Bellevue International and Women’s World Team Championship, which she believes will help her at the U.S. Open. At the World Teams in China, Sedky boasted a 4-0 record when called into action.
“Between playing at the World Team Championships and the Bellevue Invitational I was able to adapt my game to the glass court,” Sedky said. “Before, I didn’t have much experience with such courts, but those two tournaments definitely have given me a lot of confidence when it comes to adapting my game to a different environment. I actually love the feel of the glass court as it gives more of a professional vibe.”
Sedky’s first-round opponent is Egypt’s world No. 20 Hania El Hammamy, who Sedky defeated in five games and ninety-five minutes in the Texas Open.
“Hania is a very talented player who has shown great results in both the professional tour and the junior tour,” Sedky said. “Last time when I played her, I gave it all I had, and so did she, resulting in a very prolonged battle. I know this time will require maximum effort as well, and it will be a great opportunity for two young players to have a great match again.”
Reeham makes her ASB GlassCourt debut against Egypt’s Hania El Hammamy Saturday, October 6, at 4pm.
Recent Princeton graduate Olivia Fiechter marks her wild card debut against Australia’s Donna Lobban Saturday, October 6, at 5:45pm on Drexel’s Court 1.
(l-r): Anne Marie Horner, Terry Horner and Beth Devine
Anne Marie Horner, Terry Horner and Beth Devine will be honored with the 2018 SquashSmarts Distinguished Service Award at the FS Investments U.S. Open. The ceremony will happen on the glass court at Drexel’s Daskalakis Athletic Center during SquashSmarts VIP Night on Monday, October 8.
SquashSmarts is Philadelphia’s award winning out-of-school time youth squash and education program operating out of Drexel University and The Lenfest Center. Founded in 2001, SquashSmarts is the central community partner and program provider in the recently announced Arlen Specter US Squash Center.
For the past decade, Ann Marie and Terry Horner and their family’s foundation have been innovative philanthropic leaders in the field of youth sports and enrichment. According to Stephen Gregg, Executive Director of SquashSmarts, “the Horner’s support of local initiatives like SquashSmarts is directly shaping young people’s lives while also focusing a spotlight on the powerfully positive impact that data- driven, intentional youth sports programs are having on kids in this city.”
As Board Chair of The Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative (PYSC ), Terry works closely every day with PYSC Executive Director Beth Devine. Together, the two are at the heart of local and national conversations about building systems to increase access to quality sports-based youth development programs. In 2017, Terry and Beth helped create and lead a task force on sports-based youth development with Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. The task force was spearheaded by City of Philadelphia Managing Director Michael DiBerardinis, Chief Education Officer Otis Hackney, and Philadelphia Phillies Chairman David Montgomery. The task force culminated this summer with SquashSmarts 8th grader Angelica Burgos representing the city’s 240,000 school-age youth in June, as she threw out the commemorative first pitch at a sold-out Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park. The pitch marked the official launch of both the task force’s report and PYSC’s Game On! initiative which aims to ensure every child has the chance to play and grow through sports.
“The wisdom, wealth and work that Ann Marie, Terry and Beth are devoting to programs like SquashSmarts and PYSC,” says Gregg, “make them the perfect recipients of SquashSmarts’ Distinguished Service Award”.
SquashSmarts 8th grader Angelica Burgos
Previous honorees include: PYSC co-founders Wendy Palmer and Nancy Peter (2013); alumni coaches Sakora Miller, Kareem Price, Devonte Harris and Mithun Das (2014); founder and President Andrew Nerhbas (2015); volunteers Karen & George Gowen and Judy & John Wisniewski (2016); and Executive Assistant Jeanie Shanahan (2017).
Julieanne Harris, the Director of Squash at Philadelphia Cricket Club, will be awarded the Achievement Bowl during Women in Sports Day at the FS Investments U.S. Open on Wednesday October 10 at Drexel University. The fifth-annual WISD features a panel discussion at 4pm; a cocktail reception at 5pm with remarks and award presentations; and then that evening’s quarterfinal matches.
Australian born Harris, took up squash at age twenty-three. She moved to the U.S. in 1983 with her husband Bill Lane and worked at Western Athletic Clubs in San Francisco and Santa Clara before moving to the Philadelphia area in 1988. She started the squash team at Agnes Irwin School and was the assistant women’s team coach at Penn before coming to Philadelphia Cricket Club in 1992. Since then, she has led one of the country’s most successful junior programs. Nine of her Philly Cricket players have made Team USA’s national junior team and many more have been national champions in singles and doubles. She has also twice coached the U.S. junior women’s team at the World Junior Championships, in Norway in 1991 and Malaysia in 1993.
Harris is an extraordinarily accomplished player. She won the open softball division at the National Singles in 1984 and 1986, as well as the Canadian national open title in 1984 and 1985. She played for the U.S. at the world championships in 1985 and 1989. In doubles, Harris has won the U.S. open title three times, in 1991 and 1992 (partnering with last year’s Achievement Bowl honoree Gail Ramsay) and in 1995 with Joyce Davenport. She has also captured seven Canadian national open doubles titles in women’s and mixed doubles and four U.S. age group titles in women’s and mixed doubles.
The Achievement Bowl is US Squash’s oldest award. Since 1955 it has been given out annually to a woman who has made notable and profound contributions to the advancement of squash.
