Aon Texas Open Tournament

Tournament Diary, Monday, February 25 – Sunday, March 3, 2002

 

               

Monday

The Downtown Club at the Met’s five newly built international court walls were spotless.  Court # 2, the glass-walled tournament court facing the club’s entrance, positively gleamed, its huge red-lettered AON sponsor banner beckoning from above, as the first professional women squash players trickled into the club for the Aon Texas Open tournament.

 

Fifteen of the top sixteen international women players in the world, led by longtime champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald (Australia), were expected for the professional draw ($36,000 in prize money) of the Aon Texas Open.  Hungry younger international players from as far away as Egypt, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia would compete in a qualifier for four open slots in the main draw.  United States players in this group of hopefuls included Latasha and Shabana Khan, sisters from Seattle,  Dana Betts of New York, and Thelma Van Eck, a former touring professional from South Africa residing in Dallas.

 

Carol Owens (New Zealand), the tournament’s second seed and #3 in the world (fresh from her win at the previous month’s Southport Open), and several of her colleagues had arrived early to relax a bit and to see the sites with local hosts.  They were met at the airport and escorted into the city by Ginny Perry of the tournament committee and her black stretch limousine.

This was many WISPA players’ first visit to Houston and to Texas.  Although all the ladies saw downtown Houston walking from the Met club, which is atop the garage at Allen Center, and their rooms at the adjacent DoubleTree hotel, the early arrivals enjoyed a glimpse of local culture and rural heritage at a performance of Houston’s world-class rodeo in the Astrodome-—complete with indoor fireworks, REO Speedwagon and Styx. Yee hah!

 

Wednesday noon

Local squash players are treated to an advanced session on refereeing with visiting Canadian Rod Symington, the professional referee who will oversee the WISPA matches.

               

Wednesday evening

Formal festivities for the Aon Texas Open begin.  The tournament committee hosts cocktails courtside for tournament sponsors, guests, and the players, their countries’ flags serving as a backdrop. Tournament committee member Nathalie Alikhan photographs the action.  Met members and squash fans hit the bleachers and the large round stairway above Court #2 to see the final qualifying match between Nicol David (Malaysia) and Omeya Abdel Kawy(Egypt), described by some as the finest display of squash in recent memory.   Honorary Consul Nana Booker (Australia) and Vice Consul Helen Mann (UK) greet the crowd and support their players.  Later that evening, Bailey (England), Botwright (England), Kheirallah (Egypt) and Abdel Kawy (Egypt) are added to the main draw.  The American ladies are out and England dominates the draw with the lionshare of 16 players.

               

Thursday morning

Rebecca, Carol, Natalie, Rachael, Linda et al.  The WISPA players, now greeted by first name around the club by employees and members alike, check their e-mail and relax in the players’ lounge and locker rooms between matches.  The main draw starts at 1:00 p.m, with eight hourly first round matches.  Committee member Dave Scruton announces the matches on the PA system, five minutes before start times. Met club members on their way to workouts notice the excitement, as the noise level from the new squash courts increases and intermittent bursts of applause punctuate the din.

Thursday evening:  The first of the 100+ amateur players arrive, collect their shirt-stuffed, purple-trimmed Aon canvas tote bags and check in with bright yellow-clad tournament committee members Patty Thessen, Jim Donovan, Alan Frink and Zein Mangalji, and prepare to face their first opponents.  It’s clear that the out-of-towners outnumber the local participants; a good sign.

 

Friday morning

Survivors of the main draw and their less fortunate friends are chauffeured by committee members Natalie Alikhan and Nina Andrews Karohl to the Galleria for a little shopping — not too much for fear of tiring prematurely during their matches to come.

Friday evening at the club:  The amateur draw advances on four courts late into the evening, with spectators supporting their friends between the ladies’ matches and making trips to the well-placed beer keg.  WISPA director arrives, after months of threatening to make an appearance. The WISPA women are always happy to see Andrew, the surrogate father.  Unexpected excitement enters the Men’s 5.5 draw as two WISPA ladies who lost in the qualifying rounds, Laura Keating (Australia) and Dana Betts (USA), joined that draw.  Both win their first round match. The look of shock on the faces of their opponents is priceless.  Out of town players and significant others check out the local restaurant and bar scene for post-match entertainment. Vietnamese food is always popular.

               

Saturday evening

Part I.  6:00 p.m.  Four players remaining in the main draw: Carol Owens, who has looked strong all week, qualifier Tania Bailey (England) who upset #3 seed Linda Charman-Smith, #2 seed Cassie Campion (England), a former world champion coming back from an injury, and Natalie Pohrer (nee Grainger), a South African playing for England, but living and training in St. Louis with Michael Puertas.  Many WISPA players remain to support their friends (players often train together and have similar sponsors), comment on match play, and pass along tour gossip to local squash supporters.

 

Part II  8:30 p.m.  Two hundred squash fans and players dine, drink and “socialize” to the sounds of The Nite Beat, a six-piece dance band whose lead singer Mickey also works at the club.  Black linen and bottles of complimentary wine accompany the meal. Tournament committee member and sponsor David Scruton of 3D Marine holds a live auction with the help of long time HSRA member Ken Rothstein, raising more than $4,000 for the Houston Area Women’s Center, which cares for abused women and their families.  Upon hearing that his dinner partner Linda Charman-Smith was spending her first wedding anniversary alone in Houston, Coffer Corporation President and tournament sponsor David Marshall buys her a weekend at Hyatt Regency’s Barsey hotel in Brussels as an anniversary present!  Tournament Chairman and HSRA President Rishad Alikhan, also of 3D Marine, thanks all participants, the sponsors, the club, and then proceeds to put Quetico Corporation principal and tournament sponsor Susan Morrison (also DSRA president) on the spot: Houston will host this tournament every other year if Dallas agrees to do the same. Two hundred pairs of eyes turn to Susan.  She agrees (and hasn’t backed out as of the date this article went to print), and the crowd breaks into applause. Club Manager, Mike Saldivar, always glad to have the Met host sporting events, is all smiles for the rest of the evening. Player representative Cassie Campion gets up and thanks the HSRA for their efforts, with special thanks to Ginny for looking after details such as airport pick up/drop off and laundry. The speeches and auction over, the players hit the dance floor.  The WISPA players persuade Carol Owens to sing their thank you for the crowd.  Carol, graciously rising to the occasion with a well-sung “Sweet Caroline”, her favorite Karaoke tune.  The dance floor is still crowded as the band plays its last notes at 12.30 a.m.  The die-hards proceed to the DoubleTree Hotel at Allen Center to regroup for some more action.

 

Sunday morning

Coffee, Advil^®, bagels and Krispy Kreme doughnuts help the tournament organizers and players get their final matches underway.  Despite a very late evening, Diana Scruton of Houston knocks off Mary Ingle of Austin at the crack of dawn to win the Ladies A/B amateur draw, the win being the first for Diana over her longtime nemesis.  The rest of the finals in the amateur division follow in short order.

 

Most amateurs finish their matches just in time to see Carol Owens, playing for New Zealand in black for the Kiwis, defeat Cassie Campion (England) in a 67-minute five game see-saw battle, both players earning a well-deserved standing ovation.  The teary-eyed champion dedicates her win to her grandmother, who had passed away the night before.  Title Sponsor Aon’s representative, Jim Pierce, awards Cassie and Carol checks and hands out prizes to the amateur winners, praising all for their competitive spirit throughout the week.  The week has passed without a glitch. International referee Rod Symington is heard commenting that this is the best tournament he’s attended, bar none.  The tournament committee breathes a sigh of relief and everyone goes home happy.

 

Carol Owens, WISPA winner

Jim Pierce of Aon, title sponsor, with WISPA players

Rishad Alikhan, Tournament Chairman with Vicky Botwright of England and Dave Scruton, Event Coordinator and co-owner of 3-D Marine

 

Sponsor Susan Morrison of Quetico, winner Carol Owens, Jim Pierce of Aon, title sponsor, Cassie Campion, runner-up, and David Marshall of Coffer Corporation 

 WISPA final, Cassie Campion and Carol Owens

WISPA Tournament director Virginia Perry with Engy Kheirallah of Egypt

Belinda Nicholls of Nick's Fastener, sponsor, with Natalie Pohrer of England

 

Natalie Pohrer playing the semi-final against Carol Owens

 

Carol Owens and backup singers at tournament dinner