Irish Squash today named Eoin Ryan Coach of the Year 2013. This is a new annual award created to recognise the hard work and effort of Squash Coaches across Ireland and to reward success and development in Squash Coaching.

Eoin is based in Sutton Lawn Tennis Club and has coached at all levels for over 25 years. He currently coaches over 120 junior players and his coaching programmes have brought juniors from beginner to a National and International stage with many of his players competing and winning at top European and International events.

We would like to congratulate Eoin on winning this award and wish him every success in the coming season and thank him for ongoing contribution to Squash in Ireland.

Last weekend the National Squash Championships, took place at Fitzwilliam LTC. The event was a great success with superb squash being played by Ireland’s top players. There were 5 sections played – Women’s A, Men’s A & B, Men’s Over 35 and Men’s Over 40.

With an entry of nearly 80 players there were over 160 individual matches played over Friday night, Saturday and Sunday.

In the women’s event three of Ireland’s silver medal winning team from the European Championships last May played – Madeline Perry as No. 1 seed, Laura Mylotte @ No. 2 and Ciara Moloney No. 3. The 4th member of that team Aisling Blake, the defending champion is injured with her back and unfortunately couldn’t defend her title.

This year for the first time the Nationals were Live Streamed on IRISH SQUASH TV. The matches that were streamed live will be available to view on demand here later this week.

In the women’s final Madeline Perry as No. 1 seed, played Laura Mylotte No. 2 in a hard fought final. In the final analysis Madeline’s pace and accuracy were World-class and just too much for Laura. There were many fine rallies in the match but in the end it went 3-0 to Madeline, 11-4, 11-3,11-5

The Men’s A finalists were defending champion Derek Ryan and Irish number 1, Arthur Gaskin – the same line up as last year. There were many superb rallies with great athleticism shown from both players. Arthur raced into a commanding lead in the first game and won it 11-2. He repeated this in the second game making practically no errors and won it again 11-2. In the third Gaskin went 6-3 up but Ryan brought it back to 7 all and pushed it outo 9-7. Ryan won the 3rd 11-7 to take it to a 4th game. With both players tiring the younger Gaskin took a 6-1 lead, then 7-1 and went on to close it out 11-3 to win his 2nd Senior National title.

RESULTS

MEN

A. Gaskin bt D. Ryan 3-1 (11-2, 11-2, 7-11, 11-3)

WOMEN

M. Perry bt L. Mylotte 3-0 – (11-4, 11-3, 11-5)

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Last weekend the National Squash Championships, took place at Fitzwilliam LTC. The event was a great success with superb squash being played by Ireland’s top players. There were 5 sections played – Women’s A, Men’s A & B, Men’s Over 35 and Men’s Over 40.

With an entry of nearly 80 players there were over 160 individual matches played over Friday night, Saturday and Sunday.

In the women’s event three of Ireland’s silver medal winning team from the European Championships last May played – Madeline Perry as No. 1 seed, Laura Mylotte @ No. 2 and Ciara Moloney No. 3. The 4th member of that team Aisling Blake, the defending champion is injured with her back and unfortunately couldn’t defend her title.

This year for the first time the Nationals were Live Streamed on IRISH SQUASH TV. The matches that were streamed live will be available to view on demand here later this week.

In the women’s final Madeline Perry as No. 1 seed, played Laura Mylotte No. 2 in a hard fought final. In the final analysis Madeline’s pace and accuracy were World-class and just too much for Laura. There were many fine rallies in the match but in the end it went 3-0 to Madeline, 11-4, 11-3,11-5

The Men’s A finalists were defending champion Derek Ryan and Irish number 1, Arthur Gaskin – the same line up as last year. There were many superb rallies with great athleticism shown from both players. Arthur raced into a commanding lead in the first game and won it 11-2. He repeated this in the second game making practically no errors and won it again 11-2. In the third Gaskin went 6-3 up but Ryan brought it back to 7 all and pushed it outo 9-7. Ryan won the 3rd 11-7 to take it to a 4th game. With both players tiring the younger Gaskin took a 6-1 lead, then 7-1 and went on to close it out 11-3 to win his 2nd Senior National title.

RESULTS

MEN

A. Gaskin bt D. Ryan 3-1 (11-2, 11-2, 7-11, 11-3)

WOMEN

M. Perry bt L. Mylotte 3-0 – (11-4, 11-3, 11-5)

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David Ryan vs. Michael Craig

The EMC2 Munster Junior Open took place the weekend of 7th/8th of December. at Highfield and Sunday’s Well Squash clubs.

This season’s tournament had a entry of 96 in 10 age groups for both Girls and Boys. The top 3 finishers are listed below. For all the results see here: http://www.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/events.aspx?id=55781826-6279-4E7B-BDED-D69DCCA93FA3

Well Done and thanks to the Munster Junior Secretary, Cyril O’Mahony for all his work in directing thjis tournament and to the many helpers who worked over the weekend and before to make the competition a great success.

Having won her first round match eight seed Madeline Perry (IRL) bt qualifier Mariam Ibrahim Metwally (EGY) 11-6, 7-11, 11-2, 11-6 in 3o minutes. but unfortunately she went out to the 11th seed Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY)  12-10, 11-3, 11-5 in 27 minutes.  Losing in 3 in just 27 minutes would indicate that there was something niggling Madeline.

Next up for Madeline Perry is to look to regain her national title from Aisling Blake on 13-15th December in Fitzwilliam LTC.

These championships will be live streamed on Sportslive.aertv.ie

In the other 2nd round matches.

India’s Joshana Chinappa pulled off a sensational second successive upset in today’s second round of the Women’s Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open to claim her first ever quarter-final berth in a WSA World Series event.

After making her breakthrough in the first round where she upset No7 seed Natalie Grinham, the 27-year-old from Mumbai today stunned Denmark’s No15 seed Line Hansen 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5 in 44 minutes to become the only unseeded player to reach the last eight of the final World Series Gold event of the year at the Hong Kong Squash Centre.

Currently just two places below the career-high world No24 ranking she achieved two months ago, 11-time Indian national champion Chinappa made her WSA World Series championship debut in the Kuwait Open qualifiers in March 2005. Now, 28 World Series events later, the Chennai-born Indian star is making her long-awaited quarter-final debut.

Chinappa will now face Alison Waters, the No4 seed from England who took only 23 minutes to dismiss Welsh qualifier Tesni Evans 11-2, 11-4, 11-5. It was Waters that Chinappa met in the first qualifying round in Kuwait in 2005

“It will be very different tomorrow on the glass court, but I had a great time on there last year [beating Annie Au] so I hope to do well on there again tomorrow,” concluded Chinappa.

Two greats of the women’s game will meet in the quarter-finals when defending champion Nicol David, the top seed from Malaysia, takes on 2010 runner-up Jenny Duncalf, the fifth seed from England.

In a repeat of last year’s final, David beat France’s Camille Serme – but had to recover from a game down to overcome the No9 seed 7-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5 in 41 minutes.

Duncalf was taken the full distance by rising Guyana star Nicolette Fernandes before finally beating the 16th seed 12-10, 9-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-9 in 76 minutes.

The quarter-final clash will be David and Duncalf’s 28th on the WSA World Tour since February 2002 – and fourth in the Hong Kong Open. The Malaysian holds a 25-2 head-to-head advantage, with Duncalf claiming her two victories in quick succession in November 2009.

Entry form here for the Pioneer Junior Open 2014

http://www.tournamentsoftware.com/onlineentry/onlineentry.aspx?id=F1EA427C-4120-41DE-A521-BAB0C4DBDB63

The weekend of the 29th/30th November saw the Connacht Masters Open take place. There were 11 events from over 35’s to over 65’s, with 68 players entered in the tournament which took place at Galway LTC, Salthill, Galway. (Report below)

For the full draw and tournament details see here

Tournament days

Friday, November 29, 2013 to Saturday, November 30, 2013

Connacht Masters Open 2013

Report

The Connacht Masters Open took place at Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Friday 29^th and Saturday 30^th November. Seventy players entered the various sections and a number of non-playing people accompanied them to watch the squash and enjoy the social side of the tournament.

The Tournament ran smoothly and thankfully, there were few retirements due to injury. This was in no small measure due to the warm courts. Considerable work has been done over the summer to improve the insulation and retain the heat.

There were a number of outstanding individual performances over the weekend. In the Men O35 section, Keith Moran who was seeded at #4 overcame Declan Devitt (3/1), Ciaran McCoy (3/1) and John Hurley (3/1) to take the title. Keith played great squash in all three matches. In the Men O40 section, Dara O’Flynn the #3 seed Ayerst proved invincible after a hard-fought second match with David Ayerst (#2 seed) and overcame Clive Morgan the #1 seed to take the title.

The Men O45 final was a very close-fought match and eventually the #6 seed Adrian Leeson overcame the #1 seed Brian Lalor to claim the title and the Michael Devaney perpetual trophy awarded to the winner of the Men O45 even. Another new name to join the previous illustrious winners.

David Borton overcame number one seed John Dineen to take the O50 title.

The Men O55 final between Coventry based Mo Sarwar and Corkman Martin McDonnell was an enthralling four-set match. A large gallery on the #1 court saw Mo give what can only be described as a squash master class to retain the title. One of the great matches of the weekend.

Kyran Hurley romped to a relatively untroubled path to take the Men O60 title.

As there were only three entries in the O70 division, it was combined with the O65 division to give a group of eight. However, the O70s made their presence felt when Noel Murphy overcame Tom Cantwell to take the title. Noel later claimed that it had taken him 25 years to overcome Tom Cantwell in a final.

While the ladies division had a disappointing entry of four, it produced some great matches. Dympna Reardon won all her matches to take the title from Clare Jones, Anne Costello and Helen Reapy. Dympna has been a great supporter of the Connacht Masters and was really delighted with her win as she had not previously won a title anywhere. She owed her success to playing in the men’s league.

A great weekend of squash and socialising and we look forward to a repeat in 2014. Thanks to Jim and Michael J Hynes and their team from Galway Lawn Tennis Club for organising the event.

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The weekend of the 29th/30th November saw the Connacht Masters Open take place. There were 11 events from over 35’s to over 65’s, with 68 players entered in the tournament which took place at Galway LTC, Salthill, Galway. (Report below)

For the full draw and tournament details see here

Tournament days

Friday, November 29, 2013 to Saturday, November 30, 2013

Connacht Masters Open 2013

Report

The Connacht Masters Open took place at Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Friday 29^th and Saturday 30^th November. Seventy players entered the various sections and a number of non-playing people accompanied them to watch the squash and enjoy the social side of the tournament.

The Tournament ran smoothly and thankfully, there were few retirements due to injury. This was in no small measure due to the warm courts. Considerable work has been done over the summer to improve the insulation and retain the heat.

There were a number of outstanding individual performances over the weekend. In the Men O35 section, Keith Moran who was seeded at #4 overcame Declan Devitt (3/1), Ciaran McCoy (3/1) and John Hurley (3/1) to take the title. Keith played great squash in all three matches. In the Men O40 section, Dara O’Flynn the #3 seed Ayerst proved invincible after a hard-fought second match with David Ayerst (#2 seed) and overcame Clive Morgan the #1 seed to take the title.

The Men O45 final was a very close-fought match and eventually the #6 seed Adrian Leeson overcame the #1 seed Brian Lalor to claim the title and the Michael Devaney perpetual trophy awarded to the winner of the Men O45 even. Another new name to join the previous illustrious winners.

David Borton overcame number one seed John Dineen to take the O50 title.

The Men O55 final between Coventry based Mo Sarwar and Corkman Martin McDonnell was an enthralling four-set match. A large gallery on the #1 court saw Mo give what can only be described as a squash master class to retain the title. One of the great matches of the weekend.

Kyran Hurley romped to a relatively untroubled path to take the Men O60 title.

As there were only three entries in the O70 division, it was combined with the O65 division to give a group of eight. However, the O70s made their presence felt when Noel Murphy overcame Tom Cantwell to take the title. Noel later claimed that it had taken him 25 years to overcome Tom Cantwell in a final.

While the ladies division had a disappointing entry of four, it produced some great matches. Dympna Reardon won all her matches to take the title from Clare Jones, Anne Costello and Helen Reapy. Dympna has been a great supporter of the Connacht Masters and was really delighted with her win as she had not previously won a title anywhere. She owed her success to playing in the men’s league.

A great weekend of squash and socialising and we look forward to a repeat in 2014. Thanks to Jim and Michael J Hynes and their team from Galway Lawn Tennis Club for organising the event.

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IRISH JUNIOR OPEN 2013

Events