The event should be a lot of fun and it is right over the Vermont border! Here is the entry form.

Below is more information on the event.

Dates: January 9-10th, 2010 (Saturday-Sunday)  PLAY ON ONE DAY ONLY.

NOTE: Each entrant plays all his/her matches on Saturday or Sunday. No overnight stay required.

Registration Fee: $60.00 payable to Brattleboro RacquetSports, Inc. (BRI). Deduct $15.00 if current US Squash member.

Mail to: Moss Kahler, Director – BRI Invitational Squash Tournament
408 Kipling Rd., Brattleboro, VT 05301

Venue: Brattleboro RacquetSports 204 Cedar St, Brattleboro, VT 05301

Courts: Two International courts, men’s and women’s locker rooms available

Website: http://www.brattlebororacquetsports.com/

Entry Includes: Karakal tournament jersey, Guaranteed two matches, Sat & Sun juice and bagels, Sat & Sun lunch,

Prizes awarded to Division Winners & Finalists

[Divisions may be adjusted or combined by Tournament Dir.]

First/Last Match: Sat & Sun matches start at 9am.

Last match scheduled for 5pm Sunday.

Matches: best 3 of 5 games, PAR scoring to 11 points.

Ball: Dunlop Revelation Pro xx.

Registration Begins: Saturday & Sunday mornings at 8:00 AM. Check-in required before first match.

First Round Matches: Start times will be available/e-mailed on Wed January 6th.

Clothing: Eye protection required (no exceptions); non-marking court shoes

Entry Deadline: Entry forms and payment must be received by Monday, January 4th, 2010.

Waiver: Waiver must be signed by all (a parent or guardian for entrants under 18 yrs.)

Referees: Winners are expected to referee the next match or find a replacement.

Directions to BRI: Will be e-mailed to all registrants.

E-mail Questions: mosski@comcast.net  or phone (802)257-4445; (802)258-1017

This tournament is a US Squash sanctioned event for ranking purposes.

Here are thumbnail photos from the matches between Michael T. Bello and Marc Ducharme; Tim Bacon and Andrew Keller; Marc Ducharme and Andrew Keller; and Rhonda Lake and Sarah Odell.

Click on the thumbnails to view a larger version of each photo.

• Amherst College (M)
• Mount Holyoke College
• Smith College

The event will feature eight person flights for A, B, C, and D level participants. The entry deadline is Wednesday, October 21st.

For more information, please visit the Smith College Squash site.

The College Squash Association is the governing body for men’s and women’s intercollegiate squash in the United States. The new CSA website will support an association that has guided a fifty-percent growth in college squash in the past decade.

Palmer, currently ranked number six on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) tour, was the top player in the world in 2001. He recently won New York City’s Tournament of Champions.

Illingworth, the former Yale Bulldog, is 34th on the PSA tour.  He is the highest ranked player from the United States.

Wesleyan is a short drive (about an hour) from most points in Western Mass. Here are directions to Wesleyan.

Western Mass players were a major force in the tournament. In the B draw, Hanno Muellner and Ben Quick met in the quarterfinals. The two Western Mass residents traded games back and forth. Finally in the fifth game, Quick emerged victorious.

Also in the quarterfinals, Northampton residents Michael Bello and Allen Davis faced off.  The match was very even with multiple games going to tie-breakers.  To the delight of onlookers, both Bello and Davis hit the floor multiple times as they each attempted to retrieve shots.  Davis ultimately won the match in five games.

Quick defeated Davis in the B draw finals, while Muellner beat Bello in the consolation finals.

After losing the B/C qualifier to Ben Quick, Marc Ducharme marched through the C draw, ultimately finishing second.

The women’s draw was composed of three mini round robins. The winners of each round robin played another round robin to decide the winner. New Hampshire resident Rhonda Lake finished second in the draw.

Here are thumbnail photos from the matches between Ben Quick and Marc Ducharme; Ben Quick and Hanno Muellner; and Michael Bello and Allen Davis.

Click on the thumbnails to view a larger version of each photo.

The finals featured the top two seeds of the tournament.  Kemp, the number two seed, won in four games.  The Berkshire Squash Open title is the seventh Professional Squash Association (PSA) title of his career.

Below are results from the semifinals and final of  the Berkshire Squash Open.

Semifinals:
1. Omar Mosaad (EGY) def. 3. Julian Illingworth (USA), 12-10, 11-7, 11-9
2. Jonathan Kemp (ENG) def. 5. Arturo Salazar (MEX), 9-11, 11-7, 11-4, 9-11, 11-5

Finals:
2. Jonathan Kemp (ENG) def. 1. Omar Mosaad (EGY), 11-7, 3-11, 11-5, 11-2

Two players from the United States, Julian Illingworth and Christopher Gordon, are in the event.  Gordon, currently ranked 82nd in the world, lost in the first round to Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira of Mexico. Illingworth, ranked 37th, will face top seed Omar Mosaad of Egypt in Saturday’s semifinals. Mosaad currently sits at 24th in the rankings.

Below are results from the first few rounds of the Berkshire Open.

First Round of Qualifying Tournament:
Arshad Iqbal Burki (PAK) def. Ehimen Joseph Ehalen (NGR), 11-9, 11-8, 11-4
Lekgotla Mosope (BOT) def. Lefika Ragontse (BOT), 11-8, 11-9, 11-9
TG Raubenheimer (RSA) def. Thomas Brinkman (CAN), 11-4, 6-11, 11-5, 11-6
Joshua Greenfield (NZL) def. Armando Olguin (MEX), 11-1, 11-2, 11-4
Cesar Salazar (MEX) def. Ryan Thompson (RSA), 11-13, 11-5, 11-7, 11-6
Michal Reid (CAN) def. Maxym Leclair (CAN), 11-4, 11-2, 11-4
Chris Truswell (ENG) def. Robby Lingashi (ZAM), 11-3, 11-6, 11-7
Patrick Chifunda (ZAM) def. Graham Bassett (USA), 11-5, 11-9, 11-5

Finals of Qualifying Tournament:
Arshad Iqbal Burki (PAK) def. Lekgotla Mosope (BOT), 17-15, 11-4, 11-5
TG Raubenheimer (RSA) def. Joshua Greenfield (NZL), 13-11, 11-9, 11-2
Cesar Salazar (MEX) def. Michal Reid (CAN), 11-9, 11-3, 11-8
Patrick Chifunda (ZAM) def. Chris Truswell (ENG), 11-6, 11-7, 4-11, 13-11

First Round:
1. Omar Mosaad (EGY) def.  TG Raubenheimer (RSA), 11-6, 10-12, 11-5, 11-4
2. Jonathan Kemp (ENG) def.  Patrick Chifunda (ZAM), 11-6, 11-7, 11-6
3. Julian Illingworth (USA) def. Ryan Cuskelly (AUS), 11-6, 11-5, 12-10
4. Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) defeated by Regardt Schonborn (RSA), 11-9, 10-12, 2-11, 11-8, 11-8
5. Arturo Salazar (MEX) def. Shaun le Roux (ENG), 4-11, 11-3, 12-10, 11-5
6. Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira (MEX) def. Christopher Gordon (USA), 11-7, 3-11, 11-6, 12-10
7. Robbie Temple (ENG) def.  Arshad Iqbal Burki (PAK), 11-5, 11-7, 11-9
8. Bradley Hindle (AUS) defeated by Cesar Salazar (MEX), 11-13, 11-8, 5-11, 11-4, 11-3

Quartefinals:
1. Omar Mosaad (EGY) def. 7. Robbie Temple (ENG), 8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-9
2. Jonathan Kemp (ENG) def. 6. Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira (MEX), 11-7, 11-2, 11-5
3. Julian Illingworth (USA) def. Cesar Salazar (MEX), 11-6, 11-13, 11-4, 11-3
5. Arturo Salazar (MEX) def. Regardt Schonborn (RSA), 14-12, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9

Semifinals:
1. Omar Mosaad (EGY) versus 3. Julian Illingworth (USA), 6:00 PM
2. Jonathan Kemp (ENG) versus 5. Arturo Salazar (MEX), 4:00 PM

Simon’s Rock earned the 2009 Hudson Cup with strong showings in each division. The A draw was challenging, but Rich Furman, Chris DiVecchio, and Kevin Guerrero played well. In the B draw, Jim Ladden, Nick Walster, and Ben Quick earned the division title.  In the C draw, Michael Bello, Ron Shaw, and Sara Smyth helped Simon’s Rock by finishing in second place.  In the D draw, Rhonda Lake, Anne Bello, and Juan Diaz won the draw.

For the first time, the Hudson Cup belongs to a non-New York club.  Jim Ladden, the team organizer, put together a great squad for the event.

Click on the thumbnails below to view selected photographs from the event.

Tim Bacon’s Science of Coaching Squash

• The Psychology of Squash: Staying Focused Between Points
• Do you have innovative squash coaching ideas? You’re worth 40K+ (sterling)

BBC

• August D-Day for Olympic hopefuls

The Crimson

• Young women’s squash team sends four players to round of 16 at CSA Individual Championships

Canary Wharf Squash Classic

• Latest

GamesBid.com

• Squash 2016 Bid Launches Dedicated Website
• Sports Campaign For Olympic Status at SportAccord

The Independent

• Brian Viner: Nicol stretched to the limit by squash’s race for Olympic prize

MSNBC

• Today Show: Squash in the City

Reuters UK

• Olympics-Squash is economical choice for 2016 inclusion

Richmond Times-Dispatch

• Ashour defeats Matthew for squash title

Scotland on Sunday

• Squash star set to defect to US

Squash Republic

• Whatever Happened to World Squash Day?

SquashTalk

• CSA Women’s Rankings: 2008-09 Final
• US Squash expels National Capital Squash district

Telegraph.co.uk

• Peter Nicol has high hopes for 2016 Olympics
• Gregory Gaultier urges Professional Squash Association to fulfil promises

Times Online

• 60-second interview: James Willstrop, squash player

US Squash

• Illingworth Wins First PSA Title
• U.S. SQUASH Junior Development Campaign Launches Nationwide!

The World Games

• Squash: 2016 Day

Vanity Fair

• Memo to Pelosi: Earmarks for Squash!
• Diving and Kissing at Squash’s North American Open
• It’s World Squash Day! (Not)
• Squash Gets Its Moment in the Morning-Show Sun

• One-day individual knockout tournament
• Playing Categories A, B, C and Women’s competition
• Play begins at 10 AM, finals at 5 PM. Three matches guaranteed
• Prizes include rackets, bags and gift vouchers
• Entry Fee: $15 student and $30 non-student, which includes a souvenir tournament T-shirt!
• Socialize at Eli Cannons after the tournament

To enter the tournament, please visit the Wesleyan website. All proceeds go to Wesleyan Squash.

As for squash, Cazeneuve writes:

SQUASH: The racket sport nearly made it onto the London schedule in a 2005 IOC vote. Is It Worthy? Yes. Played in 175 countries—and contested at the All-Africa Games and the Asian Games—it’s one of the world’s most popular sports. Odds: 4-1.

To see the Cazeneuve’s predictions for baseball, golf, , karate, rugby sevens, roller sports, and softball, check out “The Pitch for 2016.”

In response to its growing popularity, all main draw matches of 2009 Berkshire Squash Open will be hosted on a McWill portable glass court staged at Chandler gymnasium. The Berkshire Squash Open is one of three squash tournaments in United States to stage a professional squash tournament on a glass court.

“The success of the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 events was evidence of our commitment to bringing world class squash to the Berkshires. We have worked hard to prepare a solid ground for the event which will see the tournament continue as the most prestigious professional sporting event in the Berkshires. Hosting the tournament on a glass court is a huge step toward making the Berkshire Squash Open one of the most prestigious tournaments in the U.S.,” said Zafi Levy, tournament director and head squash coach at Williams College.

With prize money of $20,000, the 2009 Berkshire Squash Open is one of the top squash tournaments in the U.S., attracting some of the top-30 players in the international professional ranking system. As in past years the draw is likely to feature players from many countries such as Australia, England, France, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, and Wales as well as the U.S.

“For the fifth time in as many years, True North Financial Services, a Mountain-One Financial Partner, is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the Berkshire Squash Open. True North has always been committed to community involvement and sponsorship of local events.  The Berkshire Squash Open is a one-of-a-kind competition in this area, and allows non-squash and squash enthusiasts alike the opportunity to see world class athletes at their best.  We are excited to be able to help this event take place right here in the heart of the Berkshires,” said Rob Able from True North financial.

Since the construction of the Simon Squash Center in 1998, Williams’ excellent facilities have been a magnet for a growing body of squash players, consisting of more than 100 Williams faculty and staff, 150 local residents, hundreds of Williams students and a growing number of junior players.  “The goal of the tournament is to provide the rapidly growing number of squash enthusiasts in the area with an opportunity to watch world-class squash at an affordable price,” says Coach Levy.  Williams College Athletic Director Harry Sheehy adds, “Once again, we are pleased to be hosting an event that will bring some of the top squash players in the world to the College and to the community.”

The week-long competition will kick off on Tuesday, April 21st with the qualifying rounds concluding on Wednesday, April 22nd.  From the qualifying rounds, four players will emerge to round out the 16-player draw.  Twelve players will enter the main draw without qualifying, including one wild-card entry.  The official opening round, or round of 16, will then begin on the magnificent McWill Glass court on Thursday, April 23rd, with the quarterfinals to be held on Friday, April 24th and the semifinals on Saturday, April 25th. The two finalists will then square off on Sunday, April 26th, when a fifth Berkshire Open champion will be crowned. Matches will begin each day at 5 P.M.

Starting this year, the 2009 Berkshire Open will serve as official charity event to support NUSEA, National Urban Squash and Educational Association. NUSEA is a non-profit organization which governs all urban squash programs in the United States.

Our goal is to raise $15,000 to sponsor the NUSEA national championship tournament held at Williams College June 19-21. The NUSEA national championship will bring to Williamstown 350 urban squash players for a weekend of squash and fun. For many of the participants, the weekend spent in Williamstown is the only time during the year they visit the countryside.

There will be an amateur event during the weekend of April 25-26 which will include Williams squash alumni, Williams’ varsity team members, members of the local squash community and out of town visitors who sign up for the event. Williams College plans on hosting a special dinner for all alumni on Saturday night between the two semifinals.

For more information about the 2009 Berkshire Squash Open, please visit SquashAndBeyond.com.

Currently, there are four cities vying for the honor of hosting the games: Chicago (USA), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Tokyo (Japan), and Madrid (Spain).  United States’ squash would certainly benefit from inclusion in an Olympics hosted in Chicago.

To unite the squash community, May 23rd will be Squash 2016 Day.  The day, which used to be called World Squash Day, will serve to further the Olympic bid.

Details about Squash 2016 Day events held in Western Mass will be published closer to the event.

Williams’ Toby Eyre made the first team.  Two other Williams players and three Mount Holyoke players finished in the top eighty players in the nation:

• 24. Pam Anckermann – Mount Holyoke
• 39. Jennifer Coxe – Williams
• 44. Vidushi Gurunada – Mount Holyoke
• 64. Courtney Bogle – Williams
• 69. Arianna Kourides – Williams
• 73. Laura Robinson – Mount Holyoke

–

First Team All-American:

• Nour Bahgat – Trinity
• Toby Eyre – Williams
• Logan Greer – Yale
• Nirasha Guruge- Harvard
• Nayelly Hernandez – Trinity
• Neha Kumar – Princeton
• Kristen Lange – Penn
• Lily Lorenzten- Stanford
• Emery Maine- Princeton
• Amanda Seibert – Princeton
• Sydney Scott – Penn

Second Team All-American:

• Alia Aziz – Yale
• Tehani Guruge – Trinity
• Alisha Mashruwala – Harvard
• Emily Park-Harvard
• Shivangi Paranjpe- Cornell
• June Tiong – Harvard
• Sarah Toomey – Yale
• Alisha Turner – Penn
• Bethan Williams – Harvard

Tim Bacon’s Science of Coaching Squash

• What should a squash player visualize?

College Squash/SquashTalk:

• Bronstein’s Occasional Gallery … this month from NYC
• First day of play goes according to form
• Princeton Tigers win a close won for third title in a row
• Amidst the ruckus a star is born
• John Nimick talks about his events and event sponsorship
• Trinity spoils Princeton’s party – wins number eleven

Daily Princetonian:

• Men’s Squash: Princeton eyes shot at history

ESPN:

• Trinity squash takes unprecedented streak further with 11th straight title

Fox News:

• JPMorgan, AmEx Sponsor New York Squash Tournament Amid $28B Bailout

GamesBids.com:

• Ambassadors Rally For Squash’s Inclusion In Olympics
• Softball, Rugby, Golf, Squash Submit Questionnaires To IOC

GlobeAndMail.com:

• Toronto dropped from 2009 Pro Squash Association tour

HartfordCourant:

• Decade Of Dominance For Trinity Squash
• Trinity Advances To Squash Semifinals With 200th Victory
• Trinity College Men’s Squash: 200 Straight Wins, One Family
• Trinity Bantams Rule The Roost
  

International Herald Tribune:

• A taste of winter squash

Mount Holyoke / Mount Holyoke News:

• Squash ranks 11th in nation
• Anckermann Earns Betty Richey Squash Award

New York Times:

• Defending a Squash Title and a Decade of Perfection

SFGate:

• William Mohr, 15, loves playing squash

Smith College Squash:

• Smith Squash is First & Only Team in U.S. to …

SportsFeatures.com:

• New squash boss boosts bid

SquashBlog:

• 1.2 Big Macs with Cheese or 10 Glasses of Wine

SquashRochester:

• Rochester vs Trinity in Pictures
• Coming soon this April!
• Yellowjackets at the ‘09 CSA Team Nationals

SquashSite:

• Fred Willis

Telegraph.co.uk:

• Rising English squash star could have been hurdled by planning laws

TheStar.com:

• Squash: Virus could dash Beng Hee’s hope of a double

Vanity Fair:

• Kirsten Gillibrand: Closet Squash Goddess
• Updike, Sex, and Ball Scuff
• Squash’s Olympic Bid: Pyramids, Thongs, and No A-Rod!
• Trinity Squash Wins Its Eleventh Straight Title

Yale Daily News:

• A haven for squash

Below are complete results from the class “A,” “B,” and “C” tournaments.

Girls’ Class “A” Tournament – Hosted by Choate Rosemary Hall (Wallingford, CT)

1. Greenwich
2. Deerfield
3. Taft
4. Milton
5. Choate
6. CSH
7. Groton
8. Middlesex
9. Nobles
10. Hotchkiss
11. St. George’s
12. Exeter
13. Westminster
14. RCDS
15. St. Paul’s
16. Andover

Girls’ Class “B” Tournament – Hosted by Pomfret School (Pomfret, CT)

1. Tabor
2. Suffield
3. St Lukes
4. Loomis
5. Kent
6. St. Marks
7. Winsor
8. Brooks
9. Millbrook
10. Kingswood
11. Westover
12. Williston Northampton
13. Dana Hall
14. Miss Porters
15. Pomfret
16. Concord

Girls’ Class “C” Tournament – Hosted by Portsmouth Abbey School (Portsmouth, RI)

1. Portsmouth
2. Newton
3. Moses
4. Lincoln
5. Berkshire
6. Greens Farms
7. Canterbury
8. Hopkins