Background
Ali Farag, featured in photos on this site, is the current world #1 PSA player. Ali won the Rochester ProAm in 2012 as a Harvard #1 freshman player.
Giving you the opportunity to see and cheer up-and-coming players like Ali is an important reason that the Rochester ProAm exists.
Our motivations for hosting the Rochester ProAm tournament are: to inspire and bring together the squash community; to support rising players; and, most important, to grow squash in Rochester.
The 21st Rochester ProAm, April 24-28, 2024, will host a draw of 24 professional players from around the world. Hazlow Electronics is the 2024 Rochester ProAm title sponsor.
All matches will be played at the Peter Lyman Squash Center at the University of Rochester Goergen Athletic Center.
The Rochester ProAm squash tournament is sponsored by the Rochester Squash Racquets Association (RSRA) and Rochester Community Squash (RCS), both a 501(c)(3) charitable organizations. Dent Wilkens, Executive Director of RCS, is the Director of the 2024 Rochester ProAm. Volunteers from the RSRA community help with organizing: housing and transportation for the players; the amateur tournament; web and print communications; and the Friday post-match squash social. Community members open their homes to provide housing for players. Funds net of operating expenses go to support RSRA community activities.
Entry to all matches is free and open to the public. However, seating is limited with seats reserved for tournament Sponsors.
The Rochester ProAm is a $9K Professional Squash Association (PSA) Challenger Tour event. Click here to see the schedule of PSA tour events (when the list of World Tour tournaments is displayed, select PSA Challenger Tour and Upcoming to see the schedule of contemporaneous Challenger Tour tournaments.)
ProAm Details, Amateur Tournament, Volunteer, and Support the ProAm:
Information on the Hazlow Electronics 2024 Rochester ProAm Squash tournament is available at the links below and from the main menu:
Pro Tournament 24-28 April: – location, daily start times, players, and daily match schedule
Amateur Tournament 27-28 April – location, schedule, and registration (deadilne: 23 April 2024)
Volunteer: Host a Player, Help with Player Transportation… – Enjoy meeting and hosting a professional player. Appreciate what it means to be a professional squash athlete
Be a Sponsor – 2024 sponsors, sponsorship levels & benefits
Please support this event and the RSRA by clicking “Donate now” below to make a contribution:
Rochester ProAm History:
In the past we have had players rated from No. 50 to No. 200 in the world hailing from USA, Australia, Egypt, Pakistan, Canada, Colombia, Austria, South Africa, Mexico, Guatemala, Botswana, Zambia, Japan, Argentina, Wales, England, France, Switzerland, Finland, New Zealand and Brazil.
Rochester ProAm history (Eric Hernady, 2006):
Our event started six years ago when I met John Power at his camp at Dartmouth College. He was coordinating the North American PSA circuit, and tried to convince me to start a tournament of my own with his help. I was very enthusiastic about bringing pro squash to Rochester which had seen a tournament like that in many years. The following year (2002) I along with John’s help had our first challenger event with a 13-man draw. The players were predominantly US-based teaching and touring pros ranging from #120-#300 in the world.
Each of the first three years we had an amateur event along with the PSA tournament. After the third year we elevated the tournament to full PSA Tour status by hosting a satellite event sans the amateur component.
Last year we had a full qualifying draw and main draw with a total of 28 players ranging from #70-#250 in the world. This year’s event will have 15 countries represented and players now make the trip from many parts of the globe.
The tournament has become a springboard for a number of players to reach higher rankings and higher status tournaments. Our past champions include Shawn DeLierre, Rafael F. Alarcon, Karim Yehia, and last year Ritwik Bhattacharya. Although I had originally envisioned US-born players using this event as a way to earn points closer to home, I still consider our event successful. That original goal may in fact be realized in the coming years with the recent successes of young American players like Christopher Gordon and Julian Illingworth and our strong finish in the Pan Am games.
The unexpected reward has been meeting and watching so many incredible athletes from around the world. They are enthusiastic, interesting young players that are respectful and a joy to have here in our city. I hope the word continues to spread about the hospitality of Rochester and its squash community.
Past Rochester Pro events: 2018, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006
Past SquashSite features: 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005
Past coverage on SquashTalk: 2008, 2004
Past Rochester ProAm champions:
2023 – Yasin ElShafei (EGY)
2022 – Aly Hussein (EGY)
2021 – NO TOURNAMENT (COVID)
2019 – Mario Yanez Tapia (MEX)
2018 – Mario Yanez Tapia (MEX)
2017 – NO TOURNAMENT 🙁
2016 – Martin Knight (NZL)
2015 – Eric Galvez (MEX)
2014 – Zac Alexander (AUS)
2013 – Lucas Serme (FRA)
2012 – Ali Farag (EGY)
2011 – Alfredo Avila (MEX)
2010 – Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
2009 – Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
2008 – Ahmed Maged Hamza (EGY)
2007 – Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira (MEX)
2006 – Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
2005 – Ritwik Bhattacharya (IND)
2004 – Karim Yehia (EGY)
2003 – Rafael F. Alarcon (BRA)
2002 – Shawn Delierre (CAN)