1938 Men's British Open Squash Championship

Last updated

British Open Squash Championships
8th British Open Championships
Details
LocationLondon, England
Venue Royal Automobile Club
  1937
1947  

The 1938 Open Championship was a squash tournament between the professional champion Jim Dear of the Oxford and Cambridge Club and Bert Biddle of the Junior Carlton Club.
Because the defending Open Champion F. D. Amr Bey had retired it was decided that the 1938 Professional Championship would also be classed as the Open Championship. Therefore Bert Biddle took on L W R Keeble of the International Sportsmen's Club for the right to meet Dear. Biddle ran out the winner of that match 9-4, 7-9, 9-1, 9-0.
The 1938 Open Championship took place over two legs, both at the Royal Automobile Club on 7 & 14 December. Dear won the first leg three games to two and then secured the Open Championship with a three games to one victory in the second leg. [1]

Contents

In all of the eight Open Championships held so far, a third leg decider was never required. In October 1939 just before the new season began all competitions were cancelled due to the war.
It would be 1947 before the return of the Championships.

Results

[2]

First leg

Royal Automobile Club
       
Flag of England.svg Jim Dear 5 9 5 9 9
Flag of England.svg Bert Biddle 9 6 9 6 5

Second leg

Royal Automobile Club
       
Flag of England.svg Jim Dear 6 9 9 9
Flag of England.svg Bert Biddle 9 1 2 6
Preceded by British Open Squash Championships
England (London)

1938
Succeeded by

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squash (sport)</span> Racket sport

Squash is a racket-and-ball sport played by two or four players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow, rubber ball. The players alternate in striking the ball with their rackets onto the playable surfaces of the four walls of the court. The objective of the game is to hit the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return. There are about 20 million people who play squash regularly world-wide in over 185 countries. The governing body of squash, the World Squash Federation (WSF), is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), but the sport is not part of the Olympic Games, despite a number of applications. Supporters continue to lobby for its incorporation in a future Olympic program. The Professional Squash Association (PSA) organizes the pro tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rackets (sport)</span> Indoor racquet sport

Rackets or racquets is an indoor racket sport played in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada. The sport is infrequently called "hard rackets", to distinguish it from the related sport of squash.

The British Open Squash Championships is the oldest tournament in the game of squash. It is widely considered to be one of the two most prestigious tournaments in the game, alongside the World Squash Championships in the 1970s, the British Open was generally considered to be the de facto world championship of the sport. The British Open Squash Championships are often referred to as being the "Wimbledon of Squash".

Donald Butcher was an English squash player, and the first player to win the British Open men's title in open play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">F. D. Amr Bey</span> Egyptian diplomat and squash player

Abdelfattah Amr, better known as "F.D. Amr Bey" or simply "Amr Bey", was an Egyptian diplomat and squash player. He won the British Open men's title six consecutive times (1933–38), and is considered the first truly dominant squash player in the sport.

Mahmoud el Karim (1916–1999) was a squash player from Egypt. He won the British Open men's title four consecutive times from 1947–1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramy Ashour</span> Egyptian squash player

Ramy Mohamed Ashour, known as Ramy Ashour, is a retired professional squash player from Egypt. He was one of the world's best squash players in the late 2000s and early 2010s, having won three World titles in 2008, 2012 and 2014. He became the youngest player to reach number one in the world since the 1980s, as well as being the first ever two time World Junior Squash Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dipika Pallikal</span> Indian squash player

Dipika Pallikal Karthik is an Indian professional squash player. She is the first Indian to break into the top 10 in the PSA Women's rankings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grégory Gaultier</span> French squash player

Grégory Gaultier is a former professional squash player from France. He has won the 2015 World Open Squash Championship, the British Open three times, in 2007, 2014 and 2017, the Qatar Classic in 2011, the US Open twice, in 2006 and 2013, the Tournament of Champions in 2009, and the PSA World Series Finals thrice, in 2008, 2009 and 2016. He reached the final of the World Open in 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2013, and the World No. 1 ranking in 2009. Gaultier is affectionately known to his friends as The General.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Matthew</span> British squash player

Nicholas MatthewOBE is a former English professional squash player who has won the two most prestigious tournaments in the professional game, the British Open and the World Open, three times each. He reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 1 in June 2010. His home club is Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club in Sheffield which has named 'The Nick Matthew Showcourt' after him.

Amanda Sobhy is an American squash player. A five-time national champion, she was the first U.S.-born player to reach the top five in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) world rankings. She reached a career-high world ranking of No. 3 in October 2021 after reaching the semi-finals of the 2021 British Open and the 2021 CIB Egyptian Open, and winning the 2021 Oracle Netsuite Open.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Coll</span> New Zealand squash player

Paul Daniel Coll is a professional squash player from New Zealand. In March 2022, he became the first New Zealand man to achieve a world ranking of World No. 1. He is a two times British Open champion, having won this tournament in 2021 and 2022.

The 1930 Squash Rackets Open Championship of Great Britain was the first edition of the British Open Squash Championships inaugurated in 1930 so that both professionals and amateurs could play each other. The champion could be challenged by another player, normally either the professional or amateur champion for the right to earn the title of champion of Great Britain. The designated champion in 1929 was Charles Read and the challenger was the much younger Don Butcher.

The 1932 Open Championship saw professional champion Don Butcher defend his title against amateur champion F. D. Amr Bey of Egypt. The first leg was held at Butcher's home club the Conservative Club on 24 October, and he lost to Bey three games to nil. The second leg was held at the Bath Club on 31 October, the home club of Bey and the match was considerably closer before Bey ran out a three games to two winner.

Then 1934 Open Championship featured the defending open champion and amateur champion F. D. Amr Bey of Egypt being challenged by Don Butcher the professional champion. The first leg was held at Butcher's Conservative Club on 12 November, but it was Bey once again who prevailed winning three games to one. The second leg took place on 19 November at the Bath Club, Bey at his home club was given his sternest test yet finally winning three games to two.

The 1935 Open Championship featured the defending open champion F. D. Amr Bey of Egypt being challenged by Jim Dear the professional champion. The first leg was held at the Bath Club on 25 November. Bey from the Bath Club won the first leg three games to two. The second leg took place at Dear's home club the Royal Automobile Club on 2 December. Bey wrapped up his third consecutive Open Championship title by clinching the second leg three games to one.

The 1936 Open Championship featured the defending open champion F. D. Amr Bey of Egypt being challenged by Jim Dear the professional champion. The first leg was held at the Royal Automobile Club on 16 November. Bey from the Bath Club won the first leg three games to two, despite some criticism over his use of the shot against the back wall to continue a rally, it was felt that he used this shot too much. The second leg took place at Bey's home Bath Club on 23 November. Bey won his fourth consecutive Open Championship title by clinching the second leg three games to one.

The 1937 Open Championship featured the defending open champion F. D. Amr Bey of Egypt being challenged by Jim Dear the professional champion. The first leg was held at Dear's club the Royal Automobile Club on 22 November. Bey won the first leg three games to two. The second leg took place at Bey's home Bath Club on 29 November. Bey won his fifth consecutive Open Championship title by clinching the second leg three games to one in a fifty-minute match.
After securing a sixth Amateur Championship in December 1937 the Egyptian retired from international competitions the following March and received a national banquet attended by King Farouk in his honour on 25 March in Cairo.

The 1947 Open Championship was between the defending champion Jim Dear of the Queen's Club and the professional champion Mahmoud Karim of Egypt.

For other people named Gordon Watson, see Gordon Watson.

References

  1. "Times Archives 1938 Open Championship". Oxfordshire Libraries.
  2. "Squash Rackets". The Times Archives. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2015.