The U.S. Open (squash) is the most prestigious
squash
Squash may refer to:
Sports
* Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets
* Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling
* Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...
tournament in the United States, and one of the most significant in the world. It is a major international display of supreme talent in the sport, and showcases the top players from around the world.
In 2012 the U.S. Open squash championships was held from October 4-12 at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The event forms part of the World Series for both the Professional Squash Association (PSA) and the Women's Squash Association (WSA), and is organized by the national governing body for squash in the United States, U.S. Squash.
The championship was inaugurated in 1954 as an opportunity for professionals and amateurs to compete against each other. Prior to the mid-1980s, the tournament was held using the
hardball squash Hardball squash is a format of the indoor racquet sport squash which was first developed in North America in the late 19th century and early 20th century. It is sometimes referred to as being the "American version" of the sport. Compared to the "Br ...
format (a
North American version of squash, which uses a smaller court and a faster-moving ball than the international "softball" version). In 1966, the championship merged with the Canadian Open and became the North American Open. The North American Open continued to use the hardball format and came to establish itself as the most prestigious event in the hardball game. In 1985, the United States Open was reinstituted as a "softball" squash event using the international format. A separate North American Open competition has continued to run as a hardball event.
![US Open Squash Championship 2011 Drexel University](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/US_Open_Squash_Championship_2011_Drexel_University.jpg)
The first championship final in 1954 saw the
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
amateur player
Henri Salaun defeat the great
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
i player
Hashim Khan
Hashim Khan ( ps, ; – 18 August 2014) was a squash player from Pakistan. He won the British Open Squash Championships (the then ''de facto'' world championship) a total of seven times, from 1951 to 1956, and then again in 1958. Khan ...
in Hashim's first foray to North America. Subsequently the championship came to be dominated by members of the Khan family for the next three decades. Hashim won the title three times between 1956 and 1963. His son
Sharif Khan
Sharif Khan (born 1945) is a Pakistani-Canadian retired professional squash player. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time great players of hardball squash (a North American variant of squash played with a faster-moving ball and on s ...
then captured the title a record 12 times in the 13-year period between 1969 and 1981. Four other members of their extended family also won the championship –
Roshan Khan
Roshan Khan (Pashto / ur, ; 26 November 1929 – 6 January 2006) was a squash player from Nawakille, Peshawar, Pakistan. He was one of the leading players in the game in the early-1960s, and won the British Open title in 1957.[ ...]
(three titles),
Azam Khan (one title),
Mo Khan (three titles), and
Jahangir Khan
Jahangir Khan (Pashto/ ur, جهانگير خان born 10 December 1963) is a former World No. 1 professional Pakistani squash player. He won the World Open title six times , and the British Open title ten times (1982-1991). Jahangir Khan is ...
(three titles – one hardball and two softball). Sharif's younger brother
Aziz Khan also finished runner-up in 1981. Another Khan,
Jansher Khan
Jansher Khan PP SI HI ( ur, جان شیر خان; born 15 June 1969, in Peshawar, Pakistan) is a former World No. 1 professional Pakistani squash player. During his career, he won the World Open a record eight times, and the British Open s ...
, also won three titles in the 1980s and 1990s. Jansher's last win in 1995 marks the last time that a Pakistani player won the title. In recent years, players from the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
,
Australia and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
have enjoyed success at the event.
Men's championship
David Palmer holding a plate trophy after winning the 2002 US Open.
United States Open Championship (softball, 1985–present)
North American Open Championship (hardball, 1966–1984)
United States Open Championship (hardball, 1954–1965)
Men's champions by country
Women's championship
United States Open Championship (softball, 1966–present)
Women's champions by country
See also
*
North American Open
The North American Open is an annual international professional squash tournament. Started in 1966, this tournament was one of the most prestigious professional events behind the British Open and the World Open.
The 2014 North American Open is l ...
*
U.S. Squash
US Squash is the Sport governing body, national governing body for the sport of Squash (sport), squash in the United States. Previously called The United States Squash Racquets Association, it is headquartered in New York City and is a member of t ...
*
US Junior Open squash championship
*
British Open Squash
The British Open Squash Championships is the oldest tournament in the game of squash. It is widely considered to be one of the two most prestigious tournaments in the game, alongside the World Squash Championships (prior to the establishment of ...
*
World Open
Note
1 The 2001 United States Open was played in January 2002 as the Memorial Open in honor of those who died in the September 11 2001 attacks. The event was scheduled to take place in September 2001, but was postponed following the attacks.
References
External links
U.S. Open Squash websiteUSsquash.com tournament list
{{Squash competitions
Squash tournaments in the United States
Squash in the United States
Squash in Pennsylvania