By Gary Anderson

October 4 - England's Chris Ryder will be looking for success at the inaugural Romanian Open in BucharestThis weekend sees Romania staging its first ever Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour event as players compete in the capital Bucharest during the Courtwall Romanian Open.

The PSA Challenger 5 event will see the likes of England's Chris Ryder and Jan Koukal of the Czech Republic sure to feature in the final shake-up at the AERO Squash Club, which is situated near the international airport in Bucharest, and the largest squash centre in the country.

Both players have already made their mark in the early stage of the tournament after first round wins over Johan Bouquet of France and Spain's Alejandro Gabri Caro respectively, while Dutchman Sebastiaan Weenink and England's Robert Downer have also impressed.

Romania now boasts 20 squash clubs with over 40 courts throughout the country and interest in squash is thriving.

This interest is reflected in the fact that two of Bucharest's top players, George Alexandru Constantinescu and Horia Naumescu are making their PSA Tour debuts in the tournament after becoming the first Romanian's to join the PSA.

The PSA World Tour sees more than 100 events take place in more than 40 countries across five continents.

Czech player Jan Koukal is expected to prove hard to beat in BucharestCzech player Jan Koukal is expected to prove hard to beat in Bucharest
























"It is always a pleasure to welcome a nation to our circuit - and the fact that the new event in Bucharest has attracted players from 12 countries is testament to the appeal of a country like Romania," said former world number five and current PSA chief executive officer Alex Gough.

"We also welcome George and Horia to our membership and hope that their success will inspire more Romanians to join the Tour."

The tournament is sponsored by court manufacturers Courtwall, and the firm's chief executive officer, Wolfgang Denk revealed that the winner in Bucharest will be flying high on Sunday (October 6).

"The AERO Squash club owners are operating a helicopter rental service from the heliport in Bucharest - the squash club is built in a helicopter hangar," said Denk.

"The winner of the PSA Courtwall Romanian Open will be taken on a helicopter flight around Bucharest after the prize ceremony."

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