Spaniard Borja Golan and South African Tenille Swartz produced notable upsets on the opening day of the Cannon Kirk Homes Irish Open, the long-established men’s and women’s international squash circuit event at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club in Dublin.
After surviving a close-fought five-game match to qualify for the women’s WISPA World Tour Silver 20 event, Tenille Swartz resisted a spirited fightback by fifth seed Emma Beddoes in the first round to beat the world No24 from England 11-9, 11-4, 6-11, 6-11, 11-5 in 58 minutes.
The 23-year-old world No47 from Cape Town, a former world No28 fighting back after shoulder surgery, now takes on 18-year-old Nour El Tayeb, the fourth seed from Egypt who despatched England’s Victoria Lust 11-5, 11-2, 11-3 in just 20 minutes.
Irish number one Madeline Perry leads local hopes in the women’s event. The 34-year-old world No3 from Belfast, seeded to win her fifth title since 2005, beat Denmark’s Line Hansen 11-3, 12-10, 11-4 – and will join fellow Irish star Aisling Blake in the quarter-finals.
Blake, the sixth seed from Sligo, ousted New Zealander Kylie Lindsay 11-7, 11-4, 11-6.
Three times a finalist in the championship since 2006, Borja Golan successfully began his campaign in the men’s PSA World Tour International 25 event with an 11-6, 11-7, 11-9 upset over Egypt’s fourth seed Mohd Ali Anwar Reda in exactly one hour.
The former world No10 from Santiago de Compostela is also on a comeback trail after recovering from major knee surgery. Winner of the title in his first appearance in Dublin in 2006, Golan now faces Mathieu Castagnet, the victor after 88 minutes of a hard-fought all-French clash with qualifier Gregoire Marche, by a 9-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 11-7 margin.
Top-seeded Australian Stewart Boswell had to fight back from a game down to overcome Swiss star Nicolas Mueller 4-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-4. The UK-based world No20 will now line up against England’s Chris Ryder, the 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 winner of a 69-minute first round battle with top Scot Alan Clyne.
RESULTS: Cannon Kirk Homes Irish Open, Dublin, Ireland
Men's 1st round:
[1] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 4-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 (44m)
Chris Ryder (ENG) bt Alan Clyne (SCO) 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 (69m)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt [Q] Gregoire Marche (FRA) 9-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 11-7 (88m)
Borja Golan (ESP) bt [4] Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) 11-6, 11-7, 11-9 (60m)
[3] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt [Q] Henrik Mustonen (FIN) 11-8, 12-10, 11-3 (35m)
[Q] Siddharth Suchde (IND) bt [Q] Matthew Karwalski (AUS) 11-4, 12-10, 11-6 (44m)
Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Campbell Grayson (NZL) 12-10, 11-7, 11-5 (37m)
[2] Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt Chris Simpson (ENG) 11-4, 11-7, 11-8 (32m)
Women’s 1st round:
[1] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt Line Hansen (DEN) 11-3, 12-10, 11-4 (28m)
[8] Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt Orla Noom (NED) 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (38m)
[3] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) bt [Q] Lauren Siddall (ENG) 11-6, 11-3, 11-7 (34m)
[7] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt [Q] Heba El Torky (EGY) 11-4, 11-13, 4-11, 13-11, 12-10 (87m)
[Q] Tenille Swartz (RSA) bt [5] Emma Beddoes (ENG) 11-9, 11-4, 6-11, 6-11, 11-5 (58m)
[4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt Victoria Lust (ENG) 11-5, 11-2, 11-3 (20m)
[6] Aisling Blake (IRL) bt Kylie Lindsay (NZL) 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (26m)
[2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [Q] Lisa Aitken (SCO) 11-2, 15-13, 11-9 (25m)
Men’s quarter-final line-up:
[1] Stewart Boswell (AUS) v Chris Ryder (ENG)
Borja Golan (ESP) v Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
[3] Saurav Ghosal (IND) v [Q] Siddharth Suchde (IND)
[2] Olli Tuominen (FIN) v Tarek Momen (EGY)
Women’s quarter-final line-up:
[1] Madeline Perry (IRL) v [8] Manuela Manetta (ITA)
[3] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) v [7] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG)
[4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [Q] Tenille Swartz (RSA)
[2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) v [6] Aisling Blake (IRL)