On October 15, 2023, the organizing committee for the 2024 China Squash Open held a press conference to announce the highly anticipated return of the tournament to Shanghai after a five-year hiatus. This year’s event will feature 48 players from 13 countries and regions competing over five days for the men’s and women’s singles championships and a total prize pool of $142,500.
Known as the “king of indoor sports,” squash is celebrated for its fast-paced action and dynamic ball trajectories, sharing similarities with sports like badminton and tennis. The game is accessible year-round, offering both competitive and recreational opportunities. Additionally, squash has been included as a new sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The China Squash Open is one of the stops on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour and represents the highest level of professional squash competition in mainland China. The event first launched in 2005, established itself in Shanghai in 2006, transitioned to a world ranking event in 2008, but was suspended in 2020 until its official return this year.
Scheduled from October 30 to November 3, the China Squash Open will host separate tournaments for men and women, each featuring 24 of the world’s top players in a single-elimination format that includes a total of 46 matches. According to the list provided by the PSA, the 48 competitors come from 13 nations and regions, with four ranked in the world’s top ten and another four in the top twenty.
In the men’s division, the top seed, Mohamed El Shorbagy, and second seed, Marwan El Shorbagy, will face off. The two brothers are fierce competitors; Mohamed has held the world number one ranking for 50 months and is the 2019 China Squash Open champion. Marwan, who has reached a career-high world ranking of third, is a seasoned player with a history of strong performances in this event, including a runner-up finish in 2016 and two semifinal appearances in 2017 and 2019. They will be joined by other notable talents, including Malaysia’s Eain Yow Ng, a nine-time PSA Tour titleholder currently at the peak of his career.
On the women’s side, top seed Rowan Elaraby from Egypt is aiming for the championship, with key competitors including Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam, who recently achieved her career-high ranking and boasts ten title wins; Australian rising star Alexandra Haydon; fellow Egyptian Sana Ibrahim, known for her consistent performances; and the promising teenager Farida Mohamed.
Representing China, the women’s sixth seed, Hong Kong’s Ho Tze Lok, will compete alongside mainland players Zhou Penglin and Liu Ziyi, who each received wildcard entries, allowing them to showcase their skills alongside top international players.
Wang Yun, the deputy director and disciplinary committee secretary of the General Administration of Sport’s small ball management center, expressed hopes that the China Squash Open will further enhance the sport’s visibility in China. “Squash has enormous potential for growth in China, and we aim to enrich the competition framework to provide more opportunities for enthusiasts to compete and showcase their talents,” he stated.
A hallmark of the PSA World Tour is its integration with stunning cityscapes, having previously hosted matches at iconic locations like the Pyramids of Egypt, New York’s Grand Central Station, London Bridge, and Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. This year’s competition will take place at the Oriental Sports Center, featuring a unique central court set up beside the Moon Bay swimming pool, marking the first time a PSA event will utilize a pool backdrop for squash, creating a striking visual experience with the sparkling waters of the Moon Bay.
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