Irish Open RD1: Home Hopes Extinguished In Opening Round

The opening day of the Cannon Kirk GillenMarkets Irish Squash Open saw the four home hopes knocked out of the Challenger 20 level competition.

The tournament, which has been won by the likes of Ali Farag. Tarek Momen, Borja Golan, Peter Nicol, Nouran Gohar, Laura Massaro, Vanessa Atkinson and both Nele and Tinne Gilis, is into its 25th edition, and is being held at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club in the Irish capital of Dublin.

This year’s event saw four Irish players take to the court, but unfortunately for the home crowd in attendance, they were all beaten. Irish No.1 Sam Buckley fell to Spain’s Bernat Jaume. Buckley won the opening game, but lost a tight second on a tie-break, and the Spaniard was able to take control from there to win in four. Meanwhile, Scotland’s Rory Stewart downed Sean Conroy in an all-Celtic clash in straight games.

In the women’s event, Breanne Flynn and Hannah McGugan were the two wildcards. They took on Germany’s Saskia Beinhard and Englishwoman Grace Gear, respectively, but both lost out in straight games.

Elsewhere, Egypt’s Mohamed Abouelghar and Zeina Zein, along with Malaysian Aira Azman, all continued their good form to win their opening matches. The trio were among those secure a spot in Chicago after winning their respective matches on the final day of the PSA World Championships Qualifying Event in Birmingham last week.

Abouelghar, the former World No.7, got the better of Spain’s Nilo Vidal in straight games. Compatriot Zeina Zein had to go the distance in her first round match. She came from a game down to defeat Malaysia’s Chan Yiwen in five. Azman also went to a deciding game, as she fought back from being 2-1 down to New Zealand’s Kaitlyn Watts.

Only one other match went the distance on the opening day. Malaysia’s Mohammad Syafiq Kamal took a surprise win as he beat Portugal’s Rui Soares. The Portuguese No.1 was ahead after three games but the Malaysian won the fourth on a tie-break 12-10, before then winning the fifth 11-7 to book his place in the second round.

The English duo of Alicia Mead and Katie Malliff knocked out the two Spanish women in action. Mead downed Spanish No.1 Cristina Gomez, while Malliff got the better of Marta Dominguez Fernandez, another who earned her place in Chicago last week.

The seeds enter the draw in the second round on Wednesday, with the likes of Jasmine Hutton, Eain Yow Ng, Aifa Azman, Leonel Cardenas and 2019 finalist Alexandra Fuller all joining the action.

The second round of the Cannon Kirk GillenMarkets Irish Squash Open will take place on Wednesday, April 19. You can keep up to date with daily updates from the tournament on the PSA Challenger Tour’s Twitter and Facebook. 

Action from Dublin is being streamed throughout the week on the Irish Squash TV channel, and you can also keep up to date with live scores which are available on the PSA World Tour website here.

Men’s First Round Results: Cannon Kirk GillenMarkets Irish Squash Open
Rory Stewart (SCO) bt Sean Conroy (IRL) 3-0: 11-5, 12-10, 11-9 (33m)
Curtis Malik (ENG) bt Ben Coleman (ENG) 3-1: 11-6, 8-11, 11-2, 7-3 rtd (58m)
Faraz Khan (USA) bt Ondrej Vorlicek (CZE) 3-1: 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 (43m)
Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) bt Rui Soares (POR) 3-2: 11-5, 3-11, 5-11, 12-10, 11-7 (54m)
Bernat Jaume (ESP) bt Sam Buckley (IRL) 3-1: 6-11, 13-11, 11-2, 11-1 (48m)
Charlie Lee (ENG) bt Stuart MacGregor (ENG) 3-0: 11-1, 11-7, 11-6 (29m)
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) bt Nilo Vidal (ESP) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 (25m)
Tom Walsh (ENG) bt Ben Smith (ENG) 3-1: 11-4, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8 (44m)

Men’s Second Round Draw: To Be Played Wednesday, April 19
[1] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v Rory Stewart (SCO)
Curtis Malik (ENG) v [8] Henry Leung (HKG)
[7] Lucas Serme (FRA) v Faraz Khan (USA)
Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) v [3] Shahjahan Khan (USA)
[4] Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) v Bernat Jaume (ESP)
Charlie Lee (ENG) v [5] Adrian Waller (ENG)
[6] George Parker (ENG) v Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
Tom Walsh (ENG) v [2] Leonel Cardenas (MEX)

Women’s First Round Results: Cannon Kirk GillenMarkets Irish Squash Open
Saskia Beinhard (GER) bt [WC] Breanne Flynn (IRL) 3-0: 11-6, 13-11, 11-7 (35m)
Grace Gear (ENG) bt [WC] Hannah McGugan (IRL) 3-0: 11-3, 11-5, 11-7 (18m)
Katie Malliff (ENG) bt Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP) 3-0: 11-5, 11-3, 11-9 (29m)
Nadia Pfister (SUI) bt Georgia Adderley (SCO) 3-1: 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 12-10 (38m)
Xin Ying Yee (MAS) bt Marie Stephan (FRA) 3-0: 12-10, 11-9, 11-3 (22m)
Alicia Mead (ENG) bt Cristina Gomez (ESP) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-6 (27m)
Aira Azman (MAS) bt Kaitlyn Watts (NZL) 3-2: 11-8, 6-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-1 (38m)
Zeina Zein (EGY) bt Chan Yiwen (MAS) 3-2: 12-10, 9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7 (47m)

Women’s Second Round Draw: To Be Played Wednesday, April 19
[1] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) v Saskia Beinhard (GER)
Grace Gear (ENG) v [7] Cindy Merlo (SUI)
[5] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) v Katie Malliff (ENG)
Nadia Pfister (SUI) v [4] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY)
[3] Alexandra Fuller (RSA) v Xin Ying Yee (MAS)|
Alicia Mead (ENG) v [6] Enora Villard (FRA)
[8] Emilia Soini (FIN) v Aira Azman (MAS)
Zeina Zein (EGY) v [2] Aifa Azman (MAS)