Racquetball is a racquet sport and a team sport played with a hollow rubber ball on an indoor or outdoor court. Joseph Sobek invented the modern sport of racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to paddleball in order to increase velocity and control. Unlike most racquet sports, such as tennis and badminton, there is no net to hit the ball over, and, unlike squash, no tin to hit the ball above. Also, the court's walls, floor, and ceiling are legal playing surfaces, with the exception of court-specific designated hinders being out-of-bounds. Racquetball is played between various players on a team who try to bounce the ball with the racquet onto the ground so it hits the wall, so that an opposing team’s player cannot bounce it back to the wall.
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.
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".
Amr Shabana is a former professional squash player from Egypt. He won the World Open in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009, and reached the World No. 1 ranking in 2006.
Charles Richard Read was a professional squash player from England, where professional squash began in 1907. Read was based at the Queen's Club in London, and beat C. Bannister of the Bath Club 15–5, 15–13 at the Bath Club to win the first English professional championship title. Read then defended his title as English champion three more times until 1928.
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.
Ramy Mohamed Ashour, known as Ramy Ashour, is a retired professional squash player from Egypt, widely regarded as one of the best squash players in the history of the sport. 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. On April 22, 2019, at the age of 31, Ashour announced his retirement from professional Squash.
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.
Mohamed ElShorbagy is an Egyptian-English professional squash player. He represented Egypt from a young age until June 2022, and is currently representing England. He reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 1 in November 2014, March 2018, February 2020, and again in July 2021. He won the Manchester open on 22 September 2020 after 192 days of recess due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for his 42nd PSA title, and winning the El Gouna Classic on 28 May 2021 for his 43rd PSA title, moving him to fifth on the all-time squash win list. ElShorbagy’s victory in New Zealand in November 2022, for his 47th PSA title, also sees him become the youngest man ever to reach 500 PSA wins at the age of 31 years and 10 months. While he is only the third man to achieve that milestone after his coach Gregory Gaultier (587) and Nick Matthew (518), he backed up his New Zealand win with a win over Diego Elias at the MARIGOLD Singapore open on the 20th of November, 2022, to mark his 505th PSA win, and his 48th title in 75 finals.
Amr Khaled Khalifa is a squash player who represents Egypt.
Amr Medhat Mohsen Warda is an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for Cypriot club Apollon Limassol and the Egypt national team.
Ali Amr Farag is an Egyptian professional squash player. He is the 2018–19, 2020–21 and 2021–22 World Champion, and is currently ranked as world No. 2 by the Professional Squash Association (PSA).
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.
There was no Open Championship held in 1933, the defending champion F. D. Amr Bey of Egypt was busy defending his Amateur championship whilst defending professional champion Don Butcher resisted a challenge from Jim Dear. This professional challenge determined who would meet Bey in 1934 for the Open Championship.
The result of the professional championship challenge is below.
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.
