Top 10 Reasons why TOC week in NYC is the best week of the year

10.  The Grand Open.  One of the most competitive draws in the country outside of the Nationals, and comes with first round TOC tickets.  Extremely well run tournament.

9.  Pro players practicing at your Club.  All week.  Perhaps the only thing more impressive than watching the pros play on the all-glass court is watching them do drills at your home Club.  You never really knew how perfectly the drill could be done until you watched them go at it.  Hypnotizing.  The cross-court drop can always nick on the crosscourt-straight drop/crosscourt-straight drop drill?

8. A former number one in the world having a game at your Club.  In 5 seconds I knew he was world class, and five seconds later I realized that was Lee Beachill, former world #1, having a game at my Club.

7.  Qualifiers at local Clubs.  As great as the all-glass court is, seeing top-30 players go at it up close is even more exciting.  You see the spin, hear all the noises, and see hungry qualifiers fight to the death.

6.  Seeing the glass court go up in Grand Central.  The inspired idea of having the TOC in Grand Central never gets old.  Watching them put up the court and knowing that the greatest week is right in front of you is as good as it gets.

5. Watching an American go for it in round 1.  This year it was Todd Harrity going against the world #4.  The crowd went crazy, especially for the tie-break second game.  Next year he’ll make it past the first round.

4. Seeing people watch squash for the first time.  The glass front wall is open to all passers-by.  And seeing newcomers transfixed gives you hope for the future of pro squash.

3. Seeing an all-time great recreate the past, beat the world #1 11-9 in the 5th, then beat the world’s #5 and #2 in succession to reclaim the title he won twice many years ago.

2.  Seeing one of the three greatest women to ever play the game finally come to Grand Central and win the title without dropping a game.  As charming and affable as she is off the court, she is a killer on it.

1.  Hanging at the TOC bar, watching the squash on the high-def TVs, enjoying a Palm beer (or two), and seeing virtually every squash friend you have ever known.  Not a bad way to spend a week.

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