2015 MCO Kicks Off with Strongest Ever Field
The 2015 Motor City Open Presented by Suburban Collection is set to kickoff this evening at the Birmingham Athletic Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Vying for the title of Motor City Open Champion will be the strongest field in the event’s history. More than half of the top 20 squash players in the world will be competing. The contenders include two-time and defending Motor City Open Champion and current world number one Mohamed Elshorbagy, who will look to claim an unprecedented third Motor City Open title. He is joined by fellow Egyptian, 2013 Champion, and former world number one Amr Shabana.
Last year’s finalist Peter Barker from England returns looking to avenge his dramatic defeat in five games in last year’s final. Rounding out the top four seeds is Spain’s Borja Golan who will strive to repeat his 2009 heroics when he claimed the title.
Qualifying action kicks off tonight. See the tournament schedule for a list of match times and other events. And be sure to checkout the 2015 draw to see just how strong the field is.
Now the second-longest running professional squash tournament in the United States, the Motor City Open has grown during its 16-year history into one of PSA’s premier North American tournaments behind only the Tournament of Champions, U.S. Open, and North American Open. The six-day tournament typically attracts more than 1,500 spectators, and is co-sponsored by The Suburban Collection, TRW, Merrill Lynch, Redfin, Visteon, Grid 4, Huron Capital and others.
The winning player earns a cash prize, a Rolex watch donated by Greenstone’s Fine Jewelry and a place on the Motor City Open’s trophy.
The Motor City Open includes a silent auction that will benefit The Karmanos Cancer Institute and Racquet Up Detroit, a youth development program that combines squash, mentoring, tutoring and community service. During its 15-year history, the Motor City Open has raised more than $150,000 for local charities.
Another popular feature of the annual event is the Junior Clinic, sponsored by the DeRoy Testamentary Foundation. Professionals in the tournament play and coach junior squash players from the greater-Detroit area and Windsor. The BAC has the Midwest’s largest junior squash program, and several of the BAC’s junior players are nationally ranked. The BAC has a decades-long history of sending squash players to some of the nation’s best universities and colleges. Juniors enrolled in Racquet Up Detroit also will participate in this year’s Junior Clinic.
