USA leads the way events in Chicago, New York and Philadelphia
By Squash Mad Reporter
The running order for that the PSA World Series calendar for the period 2014-2017 has now been finalised, featuring three events in the USA.
Following the move to implement a new three-year calendar across the elite competition earlier this summer, the PSA have reached agreements with many of the sport’s most iconic tournaments to complete what promises to be one of the most exhilarating periods in the history of the PSA World Tour.
A PSA statement released today (September 2, 2014) said: “The World Series brings the most talented squash players in the world together to compete in the most prestigious and lucrative events, taking place in iconic locations across the globe, with the top eight players over the course of the series qualifying for the season-ending PSA World Series Finals.
“The showpiece event will see players compete in an exhilarating shoot-out for the right to be crowned World Series Champion and claim one of the biggest purses in squash and an announcement regarding the location of the World Series Finals for the 2014-2017 period will follow later in September.”
PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough said: “We are very happy to have been able to secure an agreement with so many world class events that will see the next three years of the World Series structured in a way that the sport has never previously seen.
“Creating a structured and agreed format for the World Series allows us to markedly increase the commercial appeal of the sport’s elite level while also ensuring we can commit further resources to increasing the success of squash on a global scale.
“Ensuring we have a long-term commitment from major events to form the World Series is a vital element in continuing the growth of the sport around the world and we are looking forward to what promises to be an exciting period for squash.”
With the World Series limited to a maximum of nine events per year under the new agreement, including the season-ending finals, the PSA World Squash Championship, the single most prestigious title in squash, will continue to be staged on an annual basis during October / November as a stand-alone event.
The 2014 PSA World Squash Championship will take place in Qatar from November 11 – 18 with the tournament set to make it’s North American debut in Seattle in 2015. A venue for the 2016 World Squash Championship has yet to be decided.
The confirmed events which will form the 2014-2017 PSA World Series are as follows:
PSA World Series Events 2014-17:
#1 Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Squash Open (Hong Kong)
#2 Delaware Investments US Open (Philadelphia, USA)
#3 Qatar Classic (Qatar) (*Hosting PSA World Squash Championship in 2014)
#4 J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions (New York, USA)
#5 MetroSquash Windy City Open (Chicago, USA)
#6 Dubai Squash Open (Dubai)
#7 El Gouna International (El Gouna, Egypt)
#8 Allam British Open (Hull, England)
#9 PSA World Series Finals (TBC)
Pictures from Squash Mad archive