2009 Texas Open Boasts Biggest Ever Prize Fund

The Women's International Squash Players' Association is celebrating the fact that the 2009 Texas Open - the eighth edition of the event since 2002 - will be the biggest ever.

Bucking the world financial climate, the WISPA World Tour championship - which alternates between Houston and Dallas - will boast a total prize fund of $57,750.

Dallas SRA President Sanjeeb Samanta is pleased to report: "This year, we met an unprecedented milestone. While local corporations found the economic situation a barrier to supporting the event, nearly sixty individuals from the Dallas squash community stepped forward to fund 100% of the cost."

This support has enabled the event to elevate to WISPA Gold band - and already has world number one Nicol David, from Malaysia, indicating that she will enter the event she last played in 2005.

WISPA Chief Executive Andrew Shelley expressed delight with the success of the Dallas SRA fund-raising operation: "It is a tribute to the generosity of local enthusiasts that they stepped up to the plate when there was a danger of the tenth anniversary of the first WISPA event in Texas not taking place.

"And to take it higher too is awesome. Their reward will be a great week of squash and lots of interaction with the players and I am sure a great time will be had by all. They deserve it."

The event - whose title-holders include former world number ones Natalie Grainger, Vanessa Atkinson, Rachael Grinham and Carol Owens - takes place from 12-17 May at Life Time Fitness in Plano, near Dallas.