A WELCOME RETURN This weekend will mark the welcome return of the Maryland Club Open (MCO) to the professional doubles schedule after a five-year hiatus largely due to the Covid pandemic and the hosting of the Can-Am Cup one year ago. Virtually every one of this tournament’s preceding 15 editions — the fifth-most of any tour stop, exceeded by only the Johnson Memorial, the North American Open, the Big Apple Open and the Boston Pro-Am — has been characterized by a major upset, the emergence of a contending team and/or a result that changes the dynamics of the tour — sometimes all three! This phenomenon began with the very first main-draw match of the inaugural 2003 event on Halloween night when Chris Deratnay and Alex Pavulans pulled off a shocking upset victory over the fearsome Blair Horler/Clive Leach duo. Horler and Leach had been the tour’s hottest team during the last half of the 2002-03 […]

(l-r): Andrew Cordova, John Porter, Martin Knott, Robb Merritt, Mark Price, Manek Mathur, Sage Platt, Chris Callis, JD Wells, John Russell, Scott Arnold, Hugh McGuirk, Chris Haley Nearly one year after rupturing his Achilles while playing with Chris Callis, former world No. 1 Manek Mathur made a victorious return to the SDA Pro Tour with Callis by capturing the season-opening Maryland Club Open title, Monday, September 30, in Baltimore. The $50,000 diamond draw was reflective of the parity that formed over the course of last season in the vacuum of Mathur, who had gone undefeated with the now retired Damien Mudge two seasons ago. James Stout & Greg McArthur, who won three titles last season, led the draw as top seeds, opposed by world No. 1 John Russell & Scott Arnold as the two seeds. Callis, then ranked No. 2, and Mathur, No. 12, entered the top half of the draw as the four seeds. Mathur & Callis dropped their opening games in both […]

By Rob Dinerman Dateline September 26, 2018 —- Of all the venues that have established themselves on the North American professional doubles tour during the past nearly two decades of its existence, the Maryland Club Open (MCO), which began in 2003 and is now entering its 14th edition (there were hiatuses in 2009 in deference to Baltimore hosting the U. S. National Doubles that season and in 2017 due to an extensive club renovation) has delivered by far the most significant innovations, memorable results and player-friendly services. The confluence of its early-autumn positioning on the SDA calendar, extraordinary facilities (now even more so with the introduction of a third doubles court), enthusiastic membership participation and support, and the dedication and business acumen of Director of Squash Andrew Cordova, has made the Maryland Club one of the most popular tour stops of the entire season and a deserving three-time recipient of the SDA’s Event Of The Year […]

Of all the venues that have established themselves on the North American professional doubles tour during the past nearly two decades of its existence, the Maryland Club Open (MCO), which began in 2003 and is now entering its 13th edition (there was a one-year hiatus in 2009 in deference to Baltimore hosting the U. S. National Doubles that season) has delivered by far the most significant innovations, memorable results and player-friendly services. The confluence of its early-autumn positioning on the SDA calendar, extraordinary facilities, enthusiastic membership participation and support, and the dedication and business acumen of head pro Andrew Cordova, has made the Maryland Club one of the most popular tour stops of the entire season and a deserving recipient last October of the SDA’s inaugural Event Of The Year Award to the site “that has made a significant contribution to the tour and its players.” Cordova, who founded this event and has served as Tournament […]