By Jay D. Prince, Editor in Chief
Major professional events don’t become “majors” just because they feature big prize money. They become “majors” because of tradition; because they draw the best players in the world; because each year brings memorable moments.
The U.S. Open is now celebrating its sixtieth anniversary, and inside this issue you will find a fascinating look back at the first Open that featured two legends in U.S. squash—Henri Salaun and Hashim Khan. That first Open was played in the first three days of January, 1954, with the unseeded Salaun taking down the sport’s greatest player of all time in three games.
Salaun and Khan were to be the honorary co-chairs of the 2014 Delaware Investments U.S. Open in Philadelphia but, sadly, both died in the last six months leaving the squash world with fabulous memories that began with that inaugural Open.
The U.S. Open, like the Masters of golf, would be nothing without the history behind it. From that 1954 pairing to the likes of Brett Martin, Jahangir and Jansher Khan, Peter Nicol, Amr Shabana and Gregory Gaultier, plus Michelle Martin, Natalie Grainger and Nicol David, just to name a few—the players and moments created over the years are what have made the U.S. Open a Major championship in the squash world. Who’s next?
