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Peninsula Shanghai, squash stars put on a show
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THE 2015 China Open opened at The Peninsula Shanghai over the past weekend.
It’s the second straight year the tournament was held in the city. The Peninsula Shanghai put on a show for the world’s best male and female squash players, building a transparent glass court overlooking Shanghai’s skyline.
Sanctioned by the Professional Squash Association, the China Open became the largest squash World Tour event ever staged in China. In the finals on September 6, world No. 1 ranked Raneem El Welily of Egypt beat compatriot Nouran Gohar 3-0 to claim the women’s championship, while the men’s title went to world No. 3 Gregory Gaultier of France, who overcame Egypt’s Marwan El Shorbagy in straight sets.
All players were impressed with the court and the splendid view as the games were played in a glass cube set up on the terrace of the Palace Suite of The Peninsula Shanghai. A total of 128 seats had been set up to let spectators enjoy world-class squash while being able to gaze at the Bund.
“It’s a court set on the roof of a five-star hotel, which really gave us quite an experience with all the great views,” said Gaultier, who was making his China Open debut this year.
PSA CEO Alex Gough did not hide his satisfaction with the tournament, describing the rooftop court as the “best venue” on the World Tour.
“We’ve seen lots of high quality venues, and this is pretty much the best venue. Squash is closely linked to Wall Street (it has been nicknamed ‘the preferred sport on Wall Street’ thanks to its popularity among finance professionals), and the roof court in Shanghai provides a spectacular view overlooking the city’s financial area (in Pudong),” said Gough.
For The Peninsula Shanghai, the recognition from PSA, players and spectators is the best reward to their contribution to the young tournament.
“As a world-class hotel, we are pleased to provide our world-class players with a world-class venue at a world-class event,” said Joseph Chong, general manager and managing director of The Peninsula Shanghai Complex. “As a company we have always cooperated with very powerful organizations and events. We consider squash to be the Formula 1 of court games, where speed, agility and adversary in every aspect of the game come into play.”
Apart from providing its rooftop terrace as a venue, the hotel also handled accommodation and dining for all the players, referees and officials during the tournament. The general manager told Shanghai Daily his understanding of the connection between squash and hotel management.
“We believe so much in this game that it has the same DNA and same chemistry as how we operate our hotel. Squash is a game about speed and consistency, while a hotel requires speed in service and consistency in its quality. It’s an investment which I believe will be well returned for both the game and the hotel.”
Chong said he has long been a fan of the sport, playing for the first time over 27 years ago.
“Squash is a professional game for professional people. When I say professional, I mean not only the players, but also the industry professionals, like bankers. It’s a popular game on Wall Street and helps people ease pressure.
“At the end of last year’s tournament, I received a lot of letters from the players, saying how wonderful the location was. The location of the court had actually motivated them to even play harder given the mesmerizing surroundings and views.”
Li Zhe, a 41-year-old designer, took her 5-year-old daughter to this year’s China Open semifinals on Saturday.
“It was a memorable first-time experience for both of us, and the view added to the charm of the sport,” Li told Shanghai Daily. “I was surprised that my daughter sat quietly through the whole match and I guess the view along the Bund helped.”
The Peninsula Shanghai has been working closely with China Open organizer SECA and other sponsors. Chong said they look forward to keeping the tournament in Shanghai for many years and elevating the sport further.
The hotel’s rooftop terrace might also become a photo call spot for some world class tennis stars when they gather in Shanghai next month for the 2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters.
“The squash event has helped us gained a lot of interest from other sports companies to think about what they can do at this fantastic location. We might also think about holding a boxing match, or even set up a glass basketball court on the terrace in the future,” said Chong.
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