Perry Powers On In Dublin

Madeline Perry became Ireland's sole survivor in the Cannon Kirk Irish Open after a tough day for the Irish competitors on the opening day of main draw action at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club in Dublin.

The Banbridge world number nine booked her place in the quarter-finals of the women's $25,000 WISPA World Tour squash event with an impressive 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 win over English qualifier Lauren Siddall.

The third-seeded 32-year-old will take on Delia Arnold for a place in the semi-finals. The unseeded Malaysian pulled off one of the most impressive wins of her career by beating fifth seed Vanessa Atkinson, the former world champion from the Netherlands, 12-10, 11-5, 11-9.

In another notable women's upset, England's world No28 Sarah Kippax shocked fourth seed Isabelle Stoehr by beating the world No10 from France 12-14, 11-3, 11-3, 7-11, 11-9.

The top Irish men did not make it through in the $25,000 PSA World Tour event despite good performances. Irish number one and world number 55 Liam Kenny lost to sixth seed Joey Barrington from England.

Barrington, son of Irish legend Jonah, looked very solid despite dropping the first game to an impressive Kenny. But Barrington's strength and pace proved too much in the end as he went onto win 9-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-5 in 60 minutes.

Carlow's Arthur Gaskin took on current world junior champion and another of Egypt's growing list of squash stars, Mohamed El Shorbagy. Gaskin looked a match for his opponent as the first two games were shared but the fourth-seeded Egyptian showed his class at the vital stages to take the next two games and the match 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7.

In the men's event's biggest upset, Swiss qualifier Nicolas Mueller beat third seed Alister Walker - stemming a fight-back by the world No16 from England to win 11-8, 12-10, 4-11, 4-11, 11-6 in 56 minutes. In a surprise quarter-final berth, the 19-year-old former European Junior champion from near Zurich will face another seeded Englishman Daryl Selby.

Selby, who with Alister Walker will debut for England in next month's European Team Championships in Sweden, also needed five games to overcome French qualifier Mathieu Castagnet 11-5, 11-9, 7-11, 1-11, 11-6 in an 80-minute marathon.

Men's 1st round:
[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt [Q] John Rooney (IRL) 11-7, 11-8, 11-3 (37m)
[8] Mark Krajcsak (HUN) bt Amr Swelim (EGY) 11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 13-11 (58m)
[Q] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt [3] Alister Walker (ENG) 11-8, 12-10, 4-11, 4-11, 11-6 (56m)
[5] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [Q] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 11-5, 11-9, 7-11, 1-11, 11-6 (80m)
[Q] Rob Sutherland (WAL) bt [7] Renan Lavigne (FRA) 11-4, 12-10, 7-11, 4-11, 11-8 (75m)
[4] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt Arthur Gaskin (IRL) 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7 (43m)
[6] Joey Barrington (ENG) bt Liam Kenny (IRL) 9-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-5 (60m)
Julien Balbo (FRA) bt Yann Perrin (FRA) 9-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-3

Women's 1st round:
[1] Alison Waters (ENG) bt Aisling Blake (IRL) 11-1, 7-11, 11-8, 11-2 (34m)
[6] Samantha Teran (MEX) bt [Q] Annelize Naude (NED) 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 12-10 (45m)
Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt [4] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 12-14, 11-3, 11-3, 7-11, 11-9 (46m)
[8] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [Q] Manuela Manetta (ITA) 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7 (33m)
Delia Arnold (MAS) bt [5] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) 12-10, 11-5, 11-9 (39m)
[3] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [Q] Lauren Siddall (ENG) 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 (32m)
[7] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) bt Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) 11-2, 14-12, 16-14 (56m)
[2] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (ENG) bt [Q] Orla Noom (NED) 11-6, 11-5, 12-10 (35m)