After the opening two days of the U.S. Open presented by Macquarie Investment Management, only five of the top sixteen men’s and women’s qualifying seeds remain as upsets prevailed at Drexel University, Merion Cricket Club, Philadelphia Cricket Club and Racquet Club of Philadelphia.
With both main draws complete, first round play commences Saturday at noon on both the glass court and Drexel’s Kline & Specter court 1. Watch glass court action on SquashTV and and Drexel court 1 matches on www.usopensquash.com/live.
Tickets are still available on www.usopensquash.com/tickets.
The U.S. Open celebrates the doubles community Saturday with the inaugural Doubles Day. SDA and PSA players will have a chance to break the world record for hardest-hit softball and hardball on the glass court following the 5:30pm match.
Friday’s men’s upsets saw France’s Lucas Serme take out second seeded Swiss Nicolas Mueller in straight games, while Englishman Adrian Waller put out third seed Leo Au in five games.
Fourth and fifth seeds Chris Simpson and Karim Ali Fathi were the only two of the top eight to survive, Simpson beating Finnish veteran Olli Tuominen and Fathi beating the sole U.S. hope Todd Harrity, both in straight games.
Egypt’s Mazen Hesham was another three-nil winner, taking out sixth seed Declan James, while Qatar’s Adbulla Al Tamimi came from two games down to beat eight-seeded Kiwi Campbell Grayson.
In the women’s draw just three of the eight expected winners claiming a place in the main draw.
Top seed Jenny Duncalf, a former U.S. Open Champion, saw a two-game advantage disappear before re-gouping to beat Mexican Samantha Teran, while pre-qualifying winner Madeline Perry—the forty-year-old former world No. 3 now a coach at the Baldwin School—came from 2-1 down to beat fourth-seeded Coline Aumard.
The biggest upset of the day saw Canada’s Hollie Naughton beat second seed Fiona Moverley in five games to reach the main draw where she’s joined by compatriot Samantha Cornett, the sixth seed a four-game winner over Nele Gilis. A Canadian hat-trick was denied by Egypt’s Kanzy El Dafrawy, a five-game winner over Nikki Todd.
For draws more tournament coverage, visit www.usopensquash.com.
