Perry Hurries Back To Defend Irish Open Title

Irish number one Madeline Perry has raced back from the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne to defend her title in the Cannon Kirk Homes Irish Open, which gets underway today at Fitzwilliam LTC in Dublin after the completion of qualifying finals.

The 29-year-old from Banbridge has enjoyed an excellent twelve months since winning the title for the first time last April - rising to a career-high world No9 ranking this month.

"It's great to be back home after such a long time travelling and I am really looking forward to defending my title in front of my home crowd," said Perry on her arrival in Dublin.

Perry will face qualifier Tricia Chuah - but looked likely to meet compatriot Aisling Blake when the Irish number twice led the Malaysian in the final qualifying match. Chuah, however, put paid to the organisers' dream of an all-Irish opening round clash by beating the Dublin-based 24-year-old 0-9, 9-5, 7-9, 9-2, 9-4 in exactly an hour.

Irish hopes in the men's event will be led by sixth seed Liam Kenny, winner of the Irish national crown for the third time in December. The Dublin-based 28-year-old will meet English qualifier Tom Richards, who beat compatriot Darren Lewis 11-7, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7 in the qualifying finals.

France's world No32 Renan Lavigne is top seed in the event, and faces fellow Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet, a qualifier, in the opening round. The 32-year-old from Marseille is expected to face Englishman Simon Parke in Sunday's final. Yorkshireman Parke faces Irish wildcard Arthur Gaskin, of Carlow, in the first round.

Spare a thought for England's Rebecca Botwright in the women's event. The 24-year-old from Manchester faces Lancashire team-mate Laura-Jane Lengthorn, the No2 seed, in the first round in Dublin - then races across the Atlantic to Houston in Texas where she will meet her older and top-seeded sister Vicky Botwright - for the first time on the WISPA World Tour - in the opening round of the Texas Open!

Men's qualifying finals:
Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) bt David Barnett (ENG) 11-10 (3-1), 11-1, 8-11, 11-7 (54m)
Jesse Engelbrecht (ZIM) bt Wade Johnstone (AUS) 11-7, 10-11 (1-3), 11-4, 11-5 (43m)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt Paul Davis (AUS) 11-9, 11-8, 11-6 (42m)
Tom Richards (ENG) bt Darren Lewis (ENG) 11-7, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7 (41m)

Women's qualifying finals:
Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) bt Jenna Gates (ENG) 9-2, 9-4, 9-0 (26m)
Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt Orla Noom (NED) 9-4, 9-1, 9-1 (31m)
Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt Alana Miller (CAN) 9-3, 4-9, 9-4, 7-9, 9-4 (71m)
Tricia Chuah (MAS) bt Aisling Blake (IRL) 0-9, 9-5, 7-9, 9-2, 9-4 (60m)