The qualifying draws for the 2017 U.S. Open presented by Macquarie Investment Management have been released with sixteen locals set to compete at Drexel University, Racquet Club of Philadelphia, Merion Cricket Club and Philadelphia Cricket Club Thursday, October 5.
Follow live scores from all venues and watch a live stream from Drexel’s court 1 on www.usopensquash.com/live.
Nine American men will compete in the men’s draw of thirty-two, including U.S. champion Chris Hanson, world No. 50 Todd Harrity and four current college players.
After missing the 2016 U.S. Open due to injury, Hanson, world No. 79, returns to the tournament with an all-lefty opening match against Hong Kong’s world No. 28 Leo Au at Philadelphia Cricket Club at 8pm.
Harrity, Merion Cricket Club’s home hero, will face U.S. teammate and Harvard sophomore Timmy Brownell on the courts where he learned the game at 8pm. The Merion crowd will cheer on their club pro and local pre-qualifier, Dane Sharp, who will play Scotland’s Greg Lobban at 5pm.
U.S. junior champion and University of Pennsylvania freshman Andrew Douglas faces a difficult match against one of the tour’s up and coming forces, Qatar’s world No. 37 Abdulla Al Tamimi on Drexel’s Kline & Specter Court 1 at 3pm. Drexel will also host their own senior, Atticus Kelly, who will play Egypt’s world No. 43 Mohamed Reda at 8pm.
Racquet Club of Philadelphia is set to host three American men. Yale sophomore Spencer Lovejoy awaits England’s world No. 36 Chris Simpson at 3pm. Faraz Khan, who reached a career high ranking of world No. 87 this month, takes on France’s Lucas Serme at 6pm. Franklin & Marshall graduate and world No. 109 Dylan Cunningham will go up against Swiss world No. 24 Nicolas Mueller at 8pm.
On the women’s side, five Americans are involved including world No. 72 Reyna Pacheco, two-time U.S. junior champion Marina Stefanoni and four college players.
Pacheco is the first match in action at Merion Cricket Club against Canada’s Hollie Naughton at noon. Middlebury graduate Tiffany Hau follows on in the second women’s match at Merion against England’s Fiona Moverley at 2pm.
Stefanoni, two-time U.S. junior champion, will make her fifth career appearance on the PSA Tour at just fourteen years old against Belgium’s world No. 24 Nele Gilis at 5pm on Drexel’s Court 1.
After pushing Gilis to five games last year, Penn’s Reeham Sedky is set to play on Drexel’s court 1 again, this time against Canada’s Samantha Cornett at 2pm.
Philadelphia Cricket Club product and Princeton senior Olivia Fiechter will play Holland’s world No. 41 Milou van der Heijden at 7pm.
Racquet Club will host pre-qualifier and Baldwin coach Madeline Perry against Hong Kong’s world No. 47 Ho Tze-Lok at 7pm.
View complete qualifying draws here.
