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TOP PLAYERS ALL ON TAP [The St Louis Open Main Draw]

St. Louis, long a stronghold of quality squash on the Mississippi River, is going public with the sport.

Dating back to the late '70s, St Louis has held national invitational, open, and doubles tournaments, but they have always been a well-kept secret; taking place in the confines of the region's private clubs, such as the Racquet Club of St Louis.

ALL GLASS
But thanks to the energetic efforts of a group of enthusiasts, under the leadership of David Barry, the St Louis Open this year steps upward and outward, bringing the all-glass tour court to the very-public venue of the St Louis Galleria, just west of downtown St. Louis.

This is all made possible by several high quality event sponsors, led by Missouri Physicians Mutual, who also sponsored last year's even, and joined by Center Oil, General Growth Properties, the St Louis Galleria, and the Marriott Courtyard Galleria.

WORLD-CLASS FIELD
With the increased prize money and visible venue, not to mention a fortune confluence of dates, the event has attracted almost all of the top PSA players, including Therry Lincou (#1), Lee Beachill (#2), David Palmer (#3), Jonathon Power (#4) and Peter Nicol (#5), together with fan favorites such as Amr Shabana and Joe Kneipp.

The tournament is once again raising funds for Cardinal Glennon Children’s hospital, and this year adds the secondary aims of raising St. Louis’s awareness of squash as both an exciting spectator sport and as a great lifetime activity for young people. The McWil portable glass court will be erected in the Garden Court area of the Galleria, providing spectacular viewing opportunities for the 225,000 who are expected to visit during the six days of the tournament.

Along with the change in venue, comes a leap in status. From last year’s 3 Star $30,000 rating, this year’s tournament jumps to a $50,000, 5 Star, event. This not only makes this the year’s second highest ranked North American tournament, but has also brought an amazing entry list where the top eight seeds in the tournament are the top eight players in the world! St. Louis will be the center of attention throughout the squash world in September. Residence Inn by Marriott at the Galleria has become the tournament Hotel Sponsor and means that the players will enjoy newly renovated rooms within walking distance of the courts.

In conjunction with the pro tournament, St. Louis is also proud to be hosting the first USSRA US Doubles Championship. The winning men’s and women’s teams not only become the national champions, but also get to represent the USA at the World Doubles Championships in Melbourne, Australia. The matches will be held at the Missouri Athletic Club West September 16th - 19th.

Amateur players are not forgotten either. The second annual St. Louis Amateur Open offers divisions for all levels of player. Matches will be held at The University Club, and The Racquet Club, September 16th - 19th, with the added attraction of some semis and finals on the glass court in the Galleria!

Barry and his committee have put themselves at significant risk in raising the profile of the tournament, and they emphasize that Sponsorship opportunities are still available for all three events. (contact info@stlouisopen.com for sponsorship or ticket information)

[St Louis Open Draw]