Set Five

This was so much fun!  Can’t wait for next year.  Thanks for having us Philly.

The first ever Philadelphia Pro Women’s Doubles Tournament started the 2011-2012 WDSA tournament season. A $15,000 8 team event, with two eight team mixed pro-am draws, the tournament was the first pro-women’s doubles event in the Philadelphia area. This is historic, because doubles squash was started in Philadelphia in 1908. The tournament benefited the Abramson Cancer Center. Stephanie Hewitt and Meredeth Quick defeated first seeds Narelle Krizek and Suzie Pierrepont in the finals. There was an amazing energy at the tournament, as both players and supporters felt privileged to be part of such an important and successful event. The WDSA hopes that this will be the first of many professional women’s doubles events in the city of brotherly love.

The women of the WDSA kicked off the 2011-2012 season by partnering with a group of avid squash players at the Denver Athletic Club to raise money for Mile High Squash, the urban youth squash program in Denver. The event was team format, with 8 teams. Each team had a 6.0 male player or one of the WDSA women on it. Narelle Krizek, Natarsha McElhinney and Orla O’Doherty came out to support. In all, $48,000 was raised and $40,000 went to Mile High Squash.

The Harvard Club’s Charlene Neo and Sarah Odell and the University Club’s Ashley Eyre and Crosby Haynes in the finals of the New York Women’s Doubles League

Pros Narelle Krizek, Lee Belknap, Meredeth Quick and Emily Lungstrum at the New York Women’s Doubles League Finals.

Oh yes, it’s ladies night. This year, with the help and support of the University Club of New York, a women’s only doubles squash league was launched. The University Club went to NY Squash doubles league co-chair Sarah Odell, giving her two court times a week at no cost. There was one stipulation: get as many girls as possible to play in the league. This women’s ‘pilot’ league was a massive success, with six teams from five clubs and about 40 women playing. To celebrate the success of the league, the University Club of New York is hosting a finals night this Tuesday. The finals will feature the Harvard Club’s Sarah Odell and Charlene Neo vs. the University Club’s Ashley Eyre and Crosby Haynes. But before the two clubs square off for the first women’s championship, WDSA pros will be playing an exhibition match at 6:30 pm. Lee Belknap and Narelle Krizek will take on Meredeth Quick and Emily Lungstrum. The WDSA realizes the importance of seizing on the momentum that is building in the New York women’s doubles movement. Staying fit, building friendships, being competitive—the WDSA is the best living example of how to keep women in the game. Please join us at the University Club on Tuesday night at 6:30 pm for the pros, and 7:30 pm for the ams! 

I hope that there is a glass court in place. The US Doubles Committee and in particular Morris Clothier, have made this a strategic goal for North American Doubles. Having that court will enable hardball doubles to become a global sport; we can play in front of the pyramids in Egypt; on the Gold Coast in Australia; in Paris by the Eiffel Tower; the possibilities suddenly become endless.

In ten years time, we will have more WISPA players playing on the WDSA. We are encouraging more satellite events where players who are eliminated in early rounds of WISPA events will then qualify for the doubles component. The goal is for the two organizations to come together with the ultimate goal of furthering the women’s game. It is imperative that we use both organizations together so that we can eventually grow the game to become as big as the WTA.

I’ve also thought about doing a team based tour in the short term, to get more publicity, more exposure. The team format would encourage amateurs, juniors and collegiate players to join the game. In order for the game to blossom, you need people to be able to get behind teams and not just individuals.

Doubles needs to be grown from a junior base. We need to do a better job of getting the younger girls playing. In ten years time, you will have more of a core group of people playing, because you will have built the base.

Tour Director Narelle Krizek on where she sees the WDSA in 10 years.

So you think doubles is just for old people? Well, besides the fact that most of the women who play doubles on the tour are former WISPA players and US collegiate singles players, the WDSA has been committed to growing the game at the junior and under 30 levels. The 2010 Turner Cup in December included the first ever U30 pro-am, where young professionals in the city were paired with WDSA pros. While most pro-ams include a steep playing fee, the U30s played for the cost of the weekend. Nothing more. The U30 National Doubles Championships were just concluded in New York on May 20-22. This event was re-tooled from the Under 25 Nationals to include a broader age group, with the goal of getting more players into the draw. WDSA tour director Narelle Krizek is bringing more U30 events along, and working with the Junior Development Committee to encourage more local events. The tour is committed to partnering with young people, to get them on the court and into the game.

2011 Cresent Capital Los Angeles Open

This Friday marks the beginning of the second World Doubles Championships. The inagural championship was held two years ago in San Fransisco, and this year’s tournament will be in Toronto, Canada. Six women’s teams will compete for the title, with the number one seeded team of McElhinney and Krizek still fresh off of their US Doubles Championship win in Chicago only a few weeks ago. This weekend promises to be an exciting weekend of doubles squash.