Tournament History

The Bermuda Open - Onward and Upward !

Bermudians have been fascinated by top class squash since shortly after the opening of our Bermuda Squash Racquet Association (BSRA) squash courts in 1968. The first Bermuda Open Invitational involving overseas players was held in 1969 and is believed to be the first major international "soft-ball" tournament held on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

While umpiring the World Opens in Egypt and in Kuala Lumpur during the early 1970's, BSRA member Dave Protheroe hatched the idea of inviting the world's top professional players to Bermuda. During casual off-court conversations with players it dawned on him that Bermuda would be an appealing stop on the world circuit and could benefit squash on the Island by inspiring local players while raising funds for the Junior Programme.

The first Bermuda Open featuring Professional Squash Association (PSA) players was held in November 1989, featuring 16 top ranked entrants together with a 16-man qualification event that included slots for locals. The tournament boasted players from Australia, New Zealand, England, Argentina, Pakistan and Sweden. The highest ranked player was world #8 Brett Martin, who won the tournament with a thrilling five set victory over Englishman, Philip Whitlock. The success of the Bermuda Open was sealed.

Brett Martin became a great crowd favourite with Bermudian squash fans, returning in 1990 to defeat New Zealander Glen Wilson in the final. Brett completed his hat trick of Bermuda titles in 1993 but not before losing in the 1991 final to Canadian Gary Waite. By 1994 Martin had risen to #2 in the world rankings and was hot favourite to win that year's Bermuda Open. Englishman Paul Gregory had other ideas, however, and knocked out the three-time champion on his way to picking up the trophy. Zarak Khan of Pakistan won the title in fine style in 1995.

When the PSA was unable to find suitable dates for the 1996 event, Brett came to the rescue and arranged for 6 of the top 9 players in the world to compete in an invitational tournament. Events such as these can often spring surprises and this one was no exception. The top seed, world #2 Rodney Eyles of Australia, lost in the early stages, and former World Junior Champion, Simon Parke, beat the fiery Australian Anthony Hill in a thrilling final.

After a lull of several years, the Logic Bermuda Open invitational tournament was held in 2003, featuring 6 players ranked in the world's top 16, along with 6 locals. David Palmer of Australia was then rising swiftly up the PSA ranks and, having set up residence here in Bermuda, was guaranteed strong support from local fans. To everyone's dismay, he was forced to withdraw at the last moment due to appendicitis. However, this invitational tournament was a tremendous success, with a series of exciting matches featuring such players as John White (world #3), Mark Chaloner (PSA President and world #12), and Joseph Kneipp (world #14). In the closest of finals, Ong Beng Hee of Malaysia defeated 2003 Tournament of Champions finalist Thierry Lincou of France. There is no question that after a six-year hiatus this tournament was the catalyst for the Bermuda Open 2004 which in turn, brought Bermuda to the attention of the world as a superb venue for top class squash.

The Bermuda Open 2004, presented by Logic and HP, and hosted by Endurance, was an official 5-star PSA sanctioned tournament and provided the BSRA with a golden opportunity to prove that the Island could host major international squash tournaments. Not only did it attract most of the world's top players, including eight of the top ten, it also saw the venue move for the first time away from our BSRA courts in Devonshire to a specially imported all-glass court and comfortable theatre style seating in the Jessie Vesey gymnasium at the Bermuda High School for Girls in Hamilton - with capacity for 600 spectators.

Bermudian audiences were thrilled to watch the world's best players competing at a first class venue. Added to this mix was our own young professional Nick Kyme who had been granted a wild card entry into the main draw. He managed to overcome any apprehension he may have felt about performing on the grandest stage of his fledgling career, putting in a creditable performance against perennial world #1 Peter Nicol. But the match of the tournament, which has been rated by some squash experts as one of the finest matches every played, was the semi-final duel between super fit David Palmer of Australia, supported by his strongly partisan Bermuda fans, and the brilliant Canadian Jonathon Power, acknowledged as one of the greatest stroke players the game has ever seen. This epic dual resulted in a nail-biting win for Palmer in the fifth and a standing ovation for both players. Palmer may have still been feeling the after effects of this hard fought match when he played England's Lee Beachill in the final. Beachill, from Pontefract in Yorkshire, won in straight games and demonstrated that he had all the qualities to reach the pinnacle of squash.

Coincidentally, it was also due to the phenomenal success of this event that Bermuda subsequently reached a pinnacle of its own by sealing the biggest deal in squash history with the PSA. The historic agreement meant that Bermuda would host the PSA Masters in 2005 and 2006, followed by the World Open Championships in 2007. This was largely due to the trio who had been the driving force behind the ambitious endeavours: Tournament Director, Ross Triffitt, Tournament Chairman, Kim Carter, and the then President of the BSRA, Stephen Young. All worked tirelessly, with the assistance of a tremendous team of volunteers, to put Bermuda firmly on the world squash map.

Last year the Virtual Spectator Bermuda Masters 2005 saw the world's top 31 ranked players competing for the most prestigious title in professional squash outside the World Open itself. The BSRA was again fortunate to secure one wild card entry for a local player - the first time such a privilege has been granted in the PSA Masters tournament. Competition was fierce and it would have taken a brave man to predict the winner with a field including world #1 and World Open Champion, Thierry Lincou of France, world #2 and 2004 Bermuda champion, Lee Beachill, world #3 and defending PSA Master Champion, Peter Nicol, along with super-fit David Palmer, still based in Bermuda, and Egypt's Amr Shabana, both former World Open winners, and a host of superb young players from around the globe.

The stage was set when Bermuda's own Nick Kyme drew world #1 Thierry Lincou in the first match and managed to stay on court for a full half hour against his formidable opponent, even taking Lincou to a game point. Lincou had to be favourite for the title, but he lost a gruelling 5 game match against Canadian, Jonathon Power, who was still recovering from an earlier 5 game successful encounter with another Frenchman, Gregory Gaultier. Power seemed to be relishing marathon matches because he went on to play arch-rival John White in the semi-final and once again edged through 3-2 to earn a berth in the final against very much in form Lee Beachill who had looked imperious throughout the tournament, losing only one single game en route to the final. The pundits all anticipated a repeat of his triumph in 2004, but the Jonathon Power who walked on court to face Beachill surprised everyone, except maybe himself, putting on a superlative display of creative, almost error (and argument) free squash as he cruised to victory in 3 straight games 11-7, 11-4, 11-2. This was squash at its very finest by one of the most exciting players in the history of the game.

Followers of squash will be aware that there have been a series of major upsets in recent PSA tournaments due to the fact that there are now so many brilliant young players rising through the ranks to challenge the "old guard". It is nigh impossible to predict who will win the Virtual Spectator Bermuda Masters 2006, but sports fans around the globe will be eagerly anticipating another breathtaking spectacle watching the world's greatest squash players in action in the smallest country to ever host top class squash. For Bermuda it is a case of this year the Virtual Spectator Bermuda Masters 2006 - next year the World Open 2007. Onward and Upward!

Related Links