EXTRA
By Shawn Patton 



After the cancellation of the 2008 edition of the U.S. Open (read the official announcement HERE) we:
   1. looked to the past for other opinions and context
   2. asked John Nimick for some comments
   3. posed some questions to Kevin Klipstein, CEO of U.S. Squash

THOU SHALT NOT…

1. Arrive late to your match, leave the court without thanking your opponent & shaking hands, or fail to buy beer(s) when in a losing position.

September 17, 1999
Al-Ahram World Open
By Alan Thatcher

Peter Nicol became Britain's first men's world champion following his victory over Egypt's Ahmed Barada in the final of the Al-Ahram  World Open played on an open-air glass court in front of the Great Pyramids at Giza, near Cairo.

More video and reaction to follow in the days ahead ...

By Khalid Hussain
From The International News

Amir Wagih, Egypt’s head coach, believes for the last twenty years Pakistan’s squash fraternity has been putting its head in the sand.

And Wagih, a former world number 16 who has been instrumental in what is a stunning revival of squash in his country, is of the view that Pakistan can only regain their lost glory in the field of squash by garnering Egypt’s support.

Ramy Ashour and Nicol David crowned world champions in Manchester

Ramy Ashour overcame Egyptian rival Karim Darwish to claim his first World Open championship after Nicol David had beaten Vicky Botwright to retain her women's title and maintain her stranglehold on the female game.

For Botwright, it was a magnificent way to bow out of the world tour. She is now concentrating on a coaching career and was back on court at 9a.m. sharp today (Monday) to coach a group of local schoolchildren in Manchester.

 

Hi-Tec 2008 World Squash Championships
Manchester, England 
Photos by Fritz Borchert  


Ramy Ashour vs. Karim Darwish
By ZeeShaan Jamal
 
The Egyptian domination of the international squash scene has never been more prominent and underscored than it was in this tournament.

At first it was Shabana vs. El Shorbagy (the reigning world junior champion) in round three. Then it was Shabana vs. El Hindi in the quarter-final. To top that we had Shabana vs. Ashour in the semi-final and just to drive the point home, we had Ashour vs. Darwish in the Final of the World Open of 2008.

Official PSA Release
By Howard Harding

In a major shake up of the board of the Professional Squash Association, former world number one and event promoter Peter Nicol, MBE, and businessman Ziad Al-Turki, have been elected directors of the players' organisation which boasts a flourishing men's world tour valued this year at more than $3 million.

Manchester, England
Source: Thaindian News

India’s N. Ramachandran was Saturday elected the new president of the World Squash Federation (WSF) for a two-year term at a time when the sport is fighting for a place in the 2016 Olympic Games.  Ramchandran replaces Pakistan’s squash great Jahangir Khan as the new WSF chief. Jahangir, a record ten-time British Open had to step down from the prestigious post after completing his third consecutive term in office.

Squash Blog Watch
By Alex Beam
From Vanity Fair

In David Foster Wallace’s famous essay on the porn industry, “Big Red Son,” he remarked that some stereotypes are true: the typical adult video producer “really is the ugly little man with a bad toupee and a pinky ring.”

By Shawn Patton

Part One of a Three Part Feature on Natalie Grainger.