Bow Valley to continue as Canadian Mens Squash Open venue
Written by I Dig SportsThe draw and schedule for the 2024 Canadian Mens Squash Open, presented by AirSprint Private Aviation, has been released.
Action kicks off on March 3, with eight matches on the all-glass court in downtown Calgarys Bow Valley Square.
The field is headlined by current world No.2 Diego Elias of Peru, competing in Canada for the first time since 2020.
Following an opening round bye, Elias will take on the winner of Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) and Todd Harrity (USA) in round two. The Peruvian is seeded to meet Egypts Mazen Hesham in the final. Elias and Hesham have already met twice in 2024 with each player claiming one victory.
Two Canadians will be featuring in the opening round of matches. Three-time national champion David Baillargeon of Quebec will take on Englands Ben Smith, while Bow Valley Athletic Club head pro Connor Turk will face Japans Ryunosuke Tsukue.
Turk won a playoff on his home courts to earn the single wildcard spot in the draw. If victorious, Baillargeon will face No.6 seed Nicolas Mueller of Switzerland in round two, while Turk would match up against Gregoire Marche of France.
This is the third consecutive year the Canadian Mens Open has been staged in Oxford Properties spectacular Bow Valley Square. The 2024 edition features a prize purse of $100k CAD, making it the largest event in Canada alongside the Canadian Womens Open, which is slated for October 2024 in Toronto.