Next month's Forexx Women’s World Open Squash Championship in Amsterdam has already attracted more than 100 entrants - more than ever before in the 30-year history of the premier event on the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA) World Tour.
The Forexx Women’s World Open Squash 2009, which will take place from 20-27 September in the renowned Frans Otten Stadion in Amsterdam, is being staged in the Netherlands for the first time since 1989.
Despite entries not closing until next week, players from more than 25 countries - including Russia and Ecuador for the first time - have submitted entries for the richest ever event on the WISPA World Tour.
Top of the list is Nicol David, the Malaysian who completed three unbroken years at the top of the world rankings last month and will be bidding to become only the third player ever to win four Women's World Open titles next month.
"This simply emphasises what a strong and truly worldwide Tour we have - which is very much a plank of our push for an Olympic Games place - and we still have a week to go before the entry deadline!" said WISPA Chief Executive Andrew Shelley. "This may mean we have to look at the exciting prospect of future World Opens moving from 32-player to 64-player main draws!"
Tournament promoter Tommy Berden added: "It is fantastic to hear that the interest for the Forexx Women’s World Open is already at an all-time high, in particular with entries coming in from all over the globe! It looks as if the whole world top 50 will be coming to Amsterdam, which shows that the Women’s World Open crown is the most prestigious one to win.
"We are naturally delighted to stage the biggest ever squash championship on the WISPA World Tour in the Netherlands."
Further information about the Forexx Women´s World Open Squash 2009 can be found on the official tournament website www.womensworldopen.com