Englishman Clive Leach and Australian Paul Price have secured the 2013 Chilton North American Open Doubles title, and Egyptian Nour El Sherbini has won the GLO Greenwich Open Singles, the professional women’s tournament run jointly with the men’s pro doubles event.
Leach and Price shocked the men’s professional doubles world by knocking-out favorites, joint Squash Doubles Association Pro Tour world #1 seeds, and two-time defending champions Damien Mudge and Ben Gould in the semi-finals in four sets: (13), 6, 10, 10. Had the Australian teammates made it to and won the finals, Mudge would have broken Gary Waite’s tournament record of nine titles with his tenth.
Leach and Price then defeated world #3 Yvain Badan of Switzerland and #4 Manek Mathur of India in a four-set finals match: 8, (14), 11, 9.
Earlier this month, Price and Leach defeated Mudge and Gould in a two hour and forty minute 5-game match, winning the $25,000 Putnam Pro-Am Doubles in Boston.
“We have always had the belief and felt capable of doing it,” said Leach. ”After our Boston win, we knew it was essential to follow it up and maintain the game plan and the quality we showed.”
Leach said he felt these were very exciting times for professional doubles.
“To win the NAO tournament has a unique feel to it. The three clubs which host the event are great places to play. Beating Mudge and Gould in the semis definitely means a lot as Mudge’s record at the NAO speaks for itself.”
With the finals win, Leach — SDA world #5 — has won his first NAO title, while Price — SDA world #7 — has won his third. Price previously won two NAO doubles titles in 2007 and 2009, both with former teammate Gould.
In the GLO Greenwich Open women’s event, 17-year-old Nour El Sherbini secured a win in the final over Malaysian 22-year-old Low Wee Wern in five games.
American 19-year-old Amanda Sobhy made it through the qualifying stages, but was knocked out in the first round by Egyptian world #2 and tournament #1 seed Raneem El Weleily. American 18-year-old Maria Elena Ubina was awarded the Wild Card spot, and was also eliminated in the first round by Irish international and world #5 Madeline Perry.
The $35,000 Women’s Squash Association tournament included 14 of the top 20 players in the world from Egypt, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, England, Australia, Ireland, France, Mexico, Pakistan, Canada, the Czech Republic, and the United States.
The $38,000 men’s doubles tournament included 19 of the world’s top 20 Squash Doubles Association players from Australia, England, Switzerland, India, Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Pakistan, and the United States.
Matches were held at the Round Hill Club, The Greenwich Country Club, and Greenwich Field Club in Greenwich, CT.
Thanks to the title sponsors — Chilton Investments, GLO Professional, and Lexington Partners — tournament proceeds and donations support the U.S. Squash NAO/GO Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to participants in urban squash programs as they elect to attend private secondary schools or college.
