Seven Americans will harness the support of the home crowd as they take on the world’s best in the Comcast Business U.S. Open first round this weekend, October 19-20, at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia.
Opening weekend will see both halves of first round matches take place simultaneously on four courts during Saturday’s evening session and Sunday’s afternoon session. The PSA Platinum thirty-two-player draws will see the top seeds in action right from the onset with the tournament taking on a new format this year.
Team USA Opening Weekend Schedule
Saturday, October 19:
5pm, Glass Court East: [WC] Spencer Lovejoy (USA) vs. Patrick Rooney (ENG)
6:45pm, Glass Court West: [4] Olivia Weaver (USA) vs. Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY)
7:15pm, Glass Court West: [WC] Salim Khan (USA) vs. [5] Mazen Hesham (EGY)
Sunday, October 20:
12pm, Glass Court East: [WC] Lucie Stefanoni (USA) vs. Georgia Adderly (SCO)
12:45pm, Glass Court West: [WC] Marina Stefanoni (USA) vs. [7] Tinne Gilis (BEL)
1:30pm, Glass Court East: Timmy Brownell (USA) vs. Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY)
2:15pm, Glass Court East: Amanda Sobhy (USA) vs. [5] Nele Coll (BEL)
The seven-player U.S. contingent is led by world No. 4 Olivia Weaver and world No. 16 Amanda Sobhy, who will be aiming to replicate their run to the 2023 U.S. Open semifinals.
Weaver, the tournament’s four seed, enters the U.S. Open with a career high world ranking and just days after capturing her first PSA Gold title at the Silicon Valley Open Wednesday night. The Philadelphia native and Princeton graduate will face Egypt’s world no. 41 Nour Abouelmakarim Saturday at 6:45pm on the H. Chase Lenfest West Glass Court.
Sobhy, who has been ranked as high as world No. 3, continues to build upon her recovery from a second Achilles rupture having made her competitive comeback in the season-opening Egyptian Open in August. Sobhy has put in encouraging performances so far this season, and will need to be in her best form when she faces Belgium’s world No. 5 Nele Gilis Sunday at 2:15pm on the Roberts Family East Glass Court.
The Stefanoni sisters, Marina and Lucie, occupy both women’s wild card positions. Marina enters her sixth career U.S. Open with a career high world ranking of No. 51 amidst her first season as a full-time professional. Marina will face Belgian world No. 7 Tinne Gilis Sunday on Glass Court West at 12:45pm. Lucie, a sophomore at Harvard, is set for her fourth career Wild Card appearance at the U.S. Open and will face Scotland’s Georgia Adderly for the second time in her career in the opening match on Glass Court East Sunday at noon.
Timmy Brownell, the highest-ranked American man at world No. 30, will bid to reach his second consecutive U.S. Open round of sixteen against former Penn star Aly Abou Eleinen on Glass Court East Sunday at 1:30pm.
World No. 71 Spencer Lovejoy will target his first career U.S. Open win against England’s world No. 40 Patrick Rooney during the opening slate of matches on Glass Court East Saturday at 5pm.
George Washington University graduate Salim Khan will make his U.S. Open debut as a wild card against top-ranked opposition in the form of Egypt’s world No. 5 Mazen Hesham on Glass Court West Saturday at 7:15pm.
Tickets are available on usopensquash.com/tickets. Watch live coverage on squash.tv.