Drexel University Once Again Hosting US Open Squash Tourney
By Ian Bush
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The US Open Squash Championships get underway today, with the world's top players taking the court at Drexel University.
Drexel's basketball arena gets a complete transformation for the tournament.
"We build a four-wall glass exhibition court, we have seating on all sides including stands and a bar and champions club areas," says Dent Wilkins, vice president of programs and partnerships for US Squash.
He says it's the third straight year the premier event has called Philadelphia home.
"Philly is kind of the cradle of squash in the US," Wilkins says. "You have a lot of history here of the game's beginnings, but you also see a lot of the game's future."
And, he says, you don't need to be familiar with the sport:
"The nice thing about squash is without knowing all the rules, you can watch and enjoy it. It's very fast-paced, (and) there's very little downtime between points."
And during the tournament visitors can even try their hand with a racquet and a speed gun, "to see how fast they can hit the ball and how they match up against the pros."
The US Open Squash Championships run through next Friday. More details at USOpenSquash.com.
