First U.S. Open Hosted at Specter Center to Feature Record Eleven Americans

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A record eleven Americans will compete in the inaugural U.S. Open presented by Truist staged at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center, October 1-6, as the facility celebrates its Grand Opening, October 2, in Philadelphia on the campus of Drexel University.

Tickets starting from $15—including access to all matches each day and the Grand Opening Ceremony—are available on usopensquash.com/tickets. All match times and locations are available on usopensquash.com/draws.

The Platinum draws with $250,000 of equal prize money have attracted the best players in the world to inaugurate the Specter Center’s two all glass show courts.

Egypt’s world No. 1 Ali Farag and world No. 2 Nouran Gohar return to defend their titles as the one and two seeds, respectively. Farag, a Harvard graduate, will aim to equal two seed Mohamed ElShorbagy’s three-time U.S. Open champion record. Just weeks after winning the iconic Egyptian Open by the Pyramids, Gohar will aim for a second straight U.S. Open and major title.

The U.S. Open remains the only major title in squash to elude world No. 1 and U.S. Open top seed Nour El Sherbini, who has already become one of the sport’s most decorated players at just twenty-five-years old with five world titles and thirteen Platinum titles.

Team USA’s four top-twenty-five-ranked women are set to defend their new home courts for the first time at the Specter Center.

World No. 6 Amanda Sobhy enters the tournament as the four seed–her highest career U.S. Open seeding in her tenth appearance. After a first-round bye, the twenty-eight year old opens up her campaign following the Specter Center’s Grand Opening ceremony Saturday, October 2, at 7pm ET. World No. 12 Olivia Blatchford Clyne also enjoys a first round bye and will feature on the west glass court Saturday at 2:15pm against Egypt’s Nadine Shahin.

After a first round bye, world No. 18 Sabrina Sobhy faces a difficult draw in the form of Gohar Saturday night on the east glass court at 8:30pm. World No. 22 Olivia Fiechter joins first round action Friday, October 1 on the east glass court at 6:30pm against Egypt’s Menna Hamed.

World No. 41 Haley Mendez takes on fellow Harvard graduate Georgina Kennedy in the third match on the east glass court Friday at 1:30pm. Harvard sophomore Marina Stefanoni will make her third U.S. Open wild card appearance and first in four years against Canada’s Danielle Letourneau on the west glass court Friday at 2:15pm. Her younger sister, Lucie, makes her U.S. Open debut as the second wild card against Cornell’s Sivasangari Subramaniam in the first match on the east glass court Friday at 12pm noon.

Todd Harrity, a Wayne, Pennsylvania native, will play in front of the home crowd against Germany’s Raphael Kandra Friday night on the east glass court at 7:15pm. World No. 45 Shahjahan Khan will make his U.S. Open debut as a member of Team USA on the west glass court against Mexico’s Cesar Salazar Friday at 6:30pm.

Specter Center-based Timothy Brownell will play on his new home courts as a wile card against former Harvard teammate Victor Crouin Friday on the east glass court at 2:15pm. Faraz Khan is set for his sixth U.S. Open with his highest career ranking of world No. 61 and a first round match against Switzerland’s Nicholas Mueller on the east glass court Friday 12:45pm.

 

 

 

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