The US National Century Doubles Championship was played on the weekend of Feb. 26 amidst a winter storm that produced 50 MPH winds, and 30 inches of snow in the New York area. But it didn’t seem to be a problem for the 81 teams that showed up to take part in this 4th annual event—the best attended and most keenly competed for in its short history. The tournament featured five divisions this year, and the players spanned many generations from relative neophytes in their 20’s to some experienced veterans in their 80’s. The great diversity of players provided for very entertaining play as well as a unique opportunity to reach out and make many new friends.
A new division that was added this year was called the Grand Master draw. Eight teams were entered, and a minimum of 70 years of experience of one partner was required to play in this event. The final saw George Fowler and Mike Puertas of The St Louis Racquet Club take a 3-1 victory over Ted Marmor and Blair Keller of New York’s University Club (15/13, 17/18, 15/12, 15/12). Fowler and Puertas took great joy in demonstrating that yes, squash is alive and well in the Midwest of America.
The Legend’s division, where one partner must have 65 years of experience (next year 60 years), was won by the New York University Club’s Ryan O’Connell and Kenny Leung in a solid 3-1 win over Toronto’s Cambridge Club duo of Norm Seagram and James Nichols (15/10, 16/14, 11/15, 15/9). It turned out to be the predicted showdown between the No. 1 Legends team in Canada and the No. 1 ranked team in the US, and it did not disappoint. Leung claims to have only one shot in his arsenal, but that reverse corner was “surely right,” and played a big part in the victory.
The Mixed division saw a cross border combination of Victor Harding of Toronto’s Badminton & Racquet and Lee Belknap of New York’s University Club in a 3-0 win over defending champions Cairn Meek of The Toronto Cricket, Skating, & Curling Club, and Molson Robertson of Toronto’s Granite Club. This match had a combination of finesse and brute power that has become the hallmark of the Mixed draw.
The A division saw Jim Marver and Alex Dean from The Olympic Club of San Francisco earn a 3-2 victory over New York Athletic Club’s Edward Minskoff and Whitten Morris of New York’s Racquet & Tennis (10/15, 15/14, 15/14, 9/15, 15/4). This match turned out to be a battle of two young boomers on the left wall, while the right-wallers matched wits with deceptive drops and reverse corners.
The Open final was arguably the best squash the tournament has yet produced. It saw a first time winner, Jeff Stanley of New York’s University Club, team up with the two-time winner and great veteran Gordon Anderson of Buffalo’s Tennis & Squash in a classic win over last year’s champions, Ned Edwards of New York’s University Club and Rich Sheppard of the Philadelphia Cricket Club. The action was intense from the opening point, and each team seemed to trade momentum during the grueling five games. It was finally decided in overtime in the 5th, and it took Stanley & Anderson reaching deep into their vault of experience to pull off the victory. Not only did we witness a remarkable exhibition of squash at its best, but we also got to see four of the finest gents to ever play the game.
This year, U.S. SQUASH Board Chair Peter Lasusa and CEO Kevin Klipstein initiated the “The Grand Master Honor Roll” that was presented to the recipients by Gary Waite. This award will be presented at the Century Tournament each year, and it is to recognize squash players whose excellence of play, sportsmanship, and passion for the game have helped elevate the game to its current prominence. The 2010 inductees were Victor Elmaleh of the City Athletic Club, Bob Lilien of the Union Club, JD Hill of the Racquet & Tennis Club, and Mike McBean of the Atwater Club in Montreal. The joy with which each plays the game of squash is an inspiration to all of us.
