Starting tomorrow, Brno’s Centrum Viktoria will host the PSA Czech Open – the most prestigious squash event of the year in the Czech Republic – for the 5th time. Top players from the world of squash will once again meet in Brno, and the competition will also see Czech internationals Daniel Mekbib and Martin Švec playing their final PSA tournaments on the international circuit. The final matches are scheduled for Monday, 27 October.
For the second time ever in the Czech Republic, the men’s tournament is taking place as part of the highest squash world tour, within the PSA World Events Copper circuit, with a total prize pool of 33,500 USD. The main star is the UK’s Declan James, ranked #24 in the PSA world rankings. Also participating will be his compatriot Patrick Rooney (#41) and Hungarian Balazs Farkas (#47). In total, 48 squash players from 21 countries will arrive in Brno.
The women’s event will take place at PSA Challenger 9 level with a prize pool of 9,000 USD, with a strong domestic presence led by Karolína Šrámková, Michaela Čepová, Tereza Široká, Aneta Sezemská, Anna Zelenková and Tamara Holzbauerová.
“Over the past five years, this event has become a very popular tournament among elite squash players and we are very happy about it,” said Roman Švec, the main organizer from Viktoria Brno. “We are already a permanent part of the world program.”
This year’s event will be the last major tournament on the PSA circuit for Daniel Mekbib and Martin Švec who will end their international careers this weekend. The two Viktoria Brno regulars are part of the most successful generation of Czech squash since the Jan Koukal era in the mid-2000s.
Daniel Mekbib has won seven titles on the PSA circuit, including four in Canada, one in Slovakia, and one in Brno. He has won 172 of his 275 matches and reached a career-high ranking of #70. Martin Švec won his first title in Cape Town and has won three titles in total, as well as dominating the European qualification for the World Championship last year. He has reached the finals of 12 PSA tournaments, and peaked at #65 in the world rankings. Out of 280 matches, he won 137.
“It’s not the end of their careers, but it’s the end of their time on the world circuit,” explained Roman Švec. “After the tournament in Brno, they won’t renew their PSA license, so we see it as their farewell. Although it’s possible that they’ll appear at a PSA tournament sometime in the future thanks to the organizer’s wild card, it won’t be as professional PSA players. So we want to give them a dignified end at home in front of the fans – with respect for what they have done for Czech squash.”
Aside from the two retiring players, the Czech Republic will also be represented in the men’s draw by Viktor Byrtus and Jakub Solnický.
The Czech Open will start on 23 October, and the final matches are scheduled for Monday, 27 October. The main partners are the City of Brno and the South Moravian Region. The matches will be broadcast on ČT Sport Plus with live commentary.
