David, Massaro Head $115K US Open Women's Draw from US Open Media August 24, 2013
- The Women's Squash Association and Professional Squash Association
World Series event at Drexel University in Philadelphia will offer
$230,000 in total prize money to the men and women making it the
largest prize money tournament in history offering full parity.
In addition to prize
money parity, the U.S. Open will increase the women's draw from 16 to
32 players for the first time in the tournament's history.
12 US Open Day 7b
136With the world's top tennis players descending upon her namesake
National Tennis Center for the U.S. Tennis Open this weekend, former
world champion tennis star Billie Jean King has expressed her support
for the announcement of the U.S. Open Squash Championships prize money
parity.
"Any time you can achieve equality in any field of endeavor – be it in sports or in life – everyone wins," King said. "This announcement is
so much more about the message than the money, and I am thrilled
another U.S. championship event has stepped up and done the right
thing."
U.S. Squash CEO, Kevin Klipstein, said he was appreciative of the support of the eminent sports champion. "Billie Jean King has
led the way for so many girls and women in the last four decades," he
said. "We are pleased to build on recent advances in providing
opportunities for women and girls by offering full parity in prize
money for the U.S. Open. "To this day real
disparities in rights and opportunities for women and girls continue in
the US, and even more so internationally. The messages we send
with our actions, large and small, overt and subtle, matter."
In the historic
women's draw of 32, Nicol David is unsurprisingly seeded to win her
second straight U.S. Open title at the start of her eighth consecutive
year as world No. 1, with English international Laura Massaro on the
opposite end of the draw in a potential rematch of the 2013 Allam
British Open final, the most recent WSA World Series event that saw the
Englishwoman claim her first British Open title.
Massaro will be hoping
to repeat her British Open performance in hopes of claiming what would
be her second U.S. Open title.
12 US Open Day 7x
080World No. 23 Amanda Sobhy of the United States will be hoping to
thwart Massaro's championship hopes as she takes on the world No. 2 in
the first round. The 20-year-old rising Harvard junior is
confident after winning three WSA titles this summer.
"Really looking
forward to playing in the U.S. Open this October." Sobhy said.
"Each year the tournament gets bigger and better and now it has become
one of the biggest tournaments in the world with equal prize money for
both the women and the men.
"I always love playing
in front of the home crowd in such a great venue and I am really
excited to be finally playing on the glass court. Unfortunately,
I got a tough first round having to play the two seed, but I have been
playing well this summer and notched up some wins and confidence, so I
am looking forward to carrying that momentum with me into the U.S.
Open."
2012 finalist and
World No. 3 Raneem El Weleily of Egypt returns as the three seed
setting up a potential semifinal match against Massaro should she
progress against the former World Junior Champion, while England's
Alison Waters comes in as the four seed in the top half of the
draw.
Former University of
Pennsylvania All-American Kristen Lange has been handed the wildcard
spot with a first round match up against English world No. 7 Jenny
Duncalf.
Seattle-based Latasha Khan will also be representing the home nation facing Englishwoman Sarah Kippax in the opening round.
WSA Director for North
America Suzie Pierrepont looks forward to the world's top women's
players getting behind equality in both draw size and prize purse.
"U.S. Squash are the
first organization to offer equal prize money in a major event, a
commitment that is indicative of the organization's values and
leadership," Pierrepont said.
"The U.S. Open is one
of the biggest tournaments on the WSA calendar and the players are
looking forward to another visit to Drexel for a world class
event. With both Nicol David and Laura Massaro playing, the
Philly crowd can look forward to some great women's squash."
