3 minute read
International Squash Community Convenes at MAC
Club Hosts a Double Dose of Competition
For five days, from Halloween night through Saturday, Nov. 4, the MAC Squash community hosted the Oregon Open professional tournament. The event marked a post-pandemic return of professional squash to MAC and drew 21 world-ranked players to Portland. While 16 different countries were represented, local players Phillip Carbajal, Mauricio Sanchez de la Paz, and Gordon Lam proudly competed for MAC.
Traveling home from Princeton University, where he is a student, Lam played very well and beat Englishman Mark Broekman in the first round. “As a junior, I grew up watching PSA professionals compete at the Oregon Open. I didn’t realize I would be capable of playing squash at this level,” Lam said following the match. He continued his form in the quarterfinals, and after a 63-minute battle with kiwi Anthony Lepper, fell short of victory by only a few points in the fifth and final set.
The final four saw an international affair of two U.S. players, Spencer Lovejoy and No. 1-seed Faraz Kahn, compete against Welshman Emyr Evans and Pakistani player Muhammad Ashab Irfan. Evans dispatched of Kahn in four sets, while Lovejoy had to make use of all five sets to get past Irfan. The final saw Evans and Lovejoy treat a packed house to a blistering 53 minutes of back-and-forths, but it was the consistency and physicality of Evans that proved to be the difference between these two. Congratulations to Emyr Evans, the 2023 Oregon Open champion!
Running concurrently to the professional tournament, and co-hosted with the Lloyd Athletic Club, the amateur-level Oregon State Amateur Championships added to the exciting week of squash. The combination of the two events led to great fun and activities. Large crowds gathered to cheer on the matches while enjoying food and drinks. The professional players joined in the fun, too, even participating in a series of lightning-round challenge against MAC junior players. In one event, the 6-foot-3 German pro Jan Wipperfurth played against 6-year-old MAC junior Raul Khandekar. Wipperfurth ‘s restriction required him to drop to the floor for a push-up after returning each ball to Khandekar! Many laughs and great rallies ensued. Many MAC members graciously welcomed professional players into their homes, offering a comfortable break from the road life of a professional squash player.
In the end, a sense of excitement and community around the game of squash was widely apparent around the MAC squash house. Several professional players reported to the Professional Squash Association that the 2023 Oregon Open had been the best tournament of the year for them. With momentum from this year, MAC Squash is already looking forward to 2024. A very special thank you to all patrons, volunteers, and the community for the support. This event would not have been possible without you!
