The team event is always where passion runs highest and tension reaches its peak—and this year was no different. Our #TeamIreland – featuring Danny Lynch, Conal Jackson, Christian Dromgoole, Ella Erickson, Lydia McQuillan, and Ella Walsh – was eagerly anticipating it.
For the past few decades the team format was two boys and one girl, this year was the first with gender parity, two boys and two girls matches per tie. All matches were played on the same court and in the event of a tie, it would go to game count and then points count, if necessary then the tie would be separated by the winner of the first match played in the tie. The pool stages allowed for draws—but not so in the knockouts, a detail that, as it turned out, didn’t work in our favour.
Prague did a phenomenal job hosting—this is the only event in Europe that has this amount of squash fitted into 10 days. It’s a mammoth effort from all teams, players, and organisers.
Our Irish squad can be incredibly proud of their journey. The passion, resilience, and heart they showed was something special.
All results can be found at esf.tournamentsoftware.com .
Ireland’s pool included defending champions and tournament favourites, France, alongside strong squads from the Netherlands, Italy, and Denmark. While other pools had four teams, ours had five.
Ireland opened against France and, despite showing some strong squash, the result went as expected: a 4–0 loss.
We bounced back with a determined 4–0 win over Denmark, needing to dig deep for that one.
Next came the Dutch—a seriously tough contest. Danny Lynch reached his highest performing level of the week against a strong Robert Linder, pushing hard but falling just short. Lydia also put up a fight but couldn’t get the result. Ella Erickson’s opponent was ruthlessly impressive, consistently hammering left-handed forehand winners. Christian’s match was a fiery and entertaining battle—a common occurrence for the charismatic young Irishman—but he too came up short, with the Dutch taking it 4–0.
Ireland then faced Italy. After splitting the matches 2–2, our team won on games countback, which felt like a huge moment. But heartbreak followed: since the Italians had taken a match off the Dutch and Ireland hadn’t, they finished ahead of us in the group. Gutting for our players not to get the chance to battle for a top-10 finish as per their expectation, but the numbers didn’t agree.
Ireland’s first knockout match was against Wales—a team with real depth. Danny played Oliver Jones in a marathon five-setter lasting 1 hour and 26 minutes. He gave everything but lost a gruelling battle. Conal also fell to a stronger opponent in three games. On the girls’ side, Ella won a five-set thriller, and Lydia took a best-of-three. But it wasn’t enough. On countback, Ireland came up one game short. Every point counts, and this one was another tough pill to swallow.
Our wounded players took the court against Norway, and delivered a solid 3–1 win thanks to strong performances by Lydia, Christian, and Ella Walsh.
Later that same day, Ireland faced Scotland. After ten days surrounded by squash for 12 hours a day, the team put in a heroic effort. Danny produced the most entertaining squash of his campaign, thrilling the crowd in an hour-plus of amazing rallies, eventually losing in four after a marathon effort. Ella Erickson faced Robyn McAlpine in a clash of two talented young players, and Robyn came out on top. That left it to Lydia and Conal, who both needed to win 3–0 for us to take the tie. They delivered with immense mental strength, giving us a huge team win to close our campaign on a high.
To celebrate, the players enjoyed a well-earned BBQ complete with a DJ and a few games of padel.
This year, Prague is playing host to the U19 Championship—an event that’s fast becoming a standout on the European junior squash calendar. For many, it’s a highlight of their playing careers, a week with some of their fondest juniors memories. Spanning 10 days, the event is split into two parts: the first half dedicated to individual competition, the second to the team championship.
Both the men’s and women’s events featured 64-player draws, with only each nation’s top talents competing. That meant every match was a battle—rarely an easy run for anyone.
The competition was spread across two venues. The primary site was the impressive Hector Centre, home to five glass-back squash courts lined up in a row, which served as the event’s vibrant hub. Beyond squash, Hector boasts tennis, badminton, padel, beach volleyball, a gym, and on-site accommodation—though squash was very much the star this week. A secondary venue, a squash and bowling centre across town, hosted a handful of matches.
Credit to the Czech Federation for organizing a seamless event, including securing a fantastic hotel just minutes from Hector—a nice treat for the players.
The individual championships had its ups and downs for all players. There were huge highlights, some performances that need forgetting quickly, and some major 5 set battles that went both ways. For all involved, it was an invaluable learning curve. How best to progress from here is the mission.
All results can be found at esf.tournamentsoftware.com .
U19 Boys – Final Ranking
16th place – Aaron Knox
24th place – Christian Dromgoole
45th place – Danny Lynch
50th place – Conal Jackson
61st place – Frank O Flynn
U19 Girls – Final Ranking
23rd place – Lydia McQuillan
25th place – Ella Erickson
30th place – Ella Walsh
38th place – Zoe Yeomans
45th place – Riley Slade
The event was closed out with the men’s and women’s finals. Both had impressive French winners, showcasing an incredible level of squash and inspiring many of the spectators!
The team event starts on Thursday for Danny, Conal, Christian, Lydia, Ella and Ella. An exciting week ahead!
An event that didn’t quite meet Danny’s own high expectations, but did provide some great performances and battles that will stand to him in the team event. He ended with three wins and three losses, showing moments of real grit. An agonizing first-round defeat, followed by a heartbreaking 12–10 fifth-set loss (after holding match balls), were tough pills to swallow. But his ability to bounce back mentally and refocus was perhaps his biggest win of the week. Sometimes the making of an athlete is how they react!
Thrown in at the deep end with the No. 3 seed in round one, Conal gave a good account of himself, making the opponent work for his victory. Then came a series of grueling five-setters—three in a row, two of which he won. By his final match, fatigue had taken its toll, bringing to a final loss. Still, a solid performance that sets him up nicely for the team event.
Off to a flyer with a 3–1 win in round one, Christian followed up with a closely contested four-set loss. Day two brought a strong win over Maltese Julian Scerri [17/24], pushing him into tougher territory in the draw. Though he didn’t notch another win, his top-25 finish and trademark tenacity made for a strong outing.
What a start from the Waterford man—two wins on day one, including a nail-biting 11–8 in the fifth against a top French opponent to break into the top 16 – and providing his teammates with the nervous excitement that only these events can bring. A performance to be proud of for us all! Though he faced Europe’s best in the later rounds, he never lost heart. His poise and fight at just 16 years old bode well for the future.
A few tough opening matches for Frank. He was always competitive in the games, always fighting hard. Frank played superb squash in parts, and it all came together in the later stages where he closed out the event with two commanding 3–0 victories. A strong finish to a valuable learning experience.
Making her Irish debut, the American-based Ella did not disappoint. A clinical first-round win was followed by a valiant effort against a top English player. Pushing her in each game, Ella lost 3-0 but showed what she’s capable of. A narrow 11–9 fifth-set loss in round three stung, but she rebounded in style—winning the rest of her matches and gearing up confidently for the teams event.
Lydia opened with a commanding win, before a narrow round-two loss which set up an unfortunate all-Irish clash against teammate Ella Walsh in round three. Lydia came through that in straight games and continued with strong performances. After two tough losses, her final win—15–13 in the fifth—was a thriller and a great note to end on.
A huge round-one comeback win for Ella—down two games, she clawed back to win 11–9 in the fifth. Brilliant effort from the Dublin based player. Tough luck followed, running into the second seed (for the second year in a row) – held a good account of herself but was out in 3 games – and then drawing Lydia in round three. She bounced back with a dominant 3–0 win over a Croatian player and a spirited match against a higher-seeded Norwegian. Plenty of positives to take forward.
Still just 16 years old, Zoe showed impressive maturity winning three from six! Her event began with a loss to the eventual finalist, England’s Emily Coulcher-Porter—a player with the rare skill of using opposite hands on either side of the court, avoiding backhand. Zoe’s standout moment came in a commanding win over a German rival who had previously troubled her. Always nice to see improvements coming along, positive event for sure!
A tough event for the athletic Mount Pleasant player, with early matchups against powerful opponents. Riley posses plenty of speed, but struggled to answer to some of the big hits. She also had the misfortune of drawing teammate Zoe—never ideal in a large event. But Riley saved her best for last, taking down a tricky Norwegian opponent in a five-set thriller on the final day. Valuable lessons learned.
On Saturday April 12th, Sutton Lawn Tennis Club and ALSAA will host the Juniors Interprovincials 2025. The most talented juniors from each province will compete in U11, U13 and U15 categories, for a day of thrilling matches.
U11 and U13 Boys and Girls will compete in Sutton Lawn Tennis Club, starting 10am.
U11 Boys
10am – Munster vs Connacht & Leinster vs Ulster
12pm – Leinster vs Connacht
2pm – Munster vs Ulster
4pm – Munster vs Leinster & Ulster vs Connacht
U11 Girls
10am – Leinster vs Ulster
12pm -Munster vs Ulster
2pm – Munster vs Leinster
4pm – Munster vs Ulster (rotate)
6pm – Leinster vs Munster (rotate)
U13 Boys
12pm – Munster vs Connacht & Leinster vs Ulster
2pm – Munster vs Ulster & Leinster vs Connacht
4pm – Ulster vs Connacht
6pm – Munster vs Leinster
U13 Girls
10am – Connacht vs Leinster A & Munster vs Leinster B
12pm -Munster vs Leinster A
2pm – Connacht vs Leinster B
4pm – Munster vs Connacht
6pm – Leinster A vs Leinster B
U15 boys and girls team will compete in ALSAA, starting 10am.
U15 Boys
10am – Munster vs Connacht & Ulster vs Leinster
12.30pm – Munster vs Ulster & Connacht vs Leinster
3pm – Connacht vs Ulster & Munster vs Leinster
U15 Girls
10am – Munster vs Leinster B
12pm – Leinster A vs Leinster B
2pm – Ulster vs Leinster A
4pm – Ulster vs Leinster A (rotate)
The adventure began early Thursday morning with a bleary-eyed 3:30am start at Dublin Airport. Excitement buzzed through the group—especially for those donning the Irish shirt for the very first time. The team landed in Nantes before breakfast and headed straight to La Maison du Squash, the tournament venue, for a practice session to get familiar with the courts and surroundings.
La Maison du Squash proved to be a fantastic host throughout the weekend, providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere for players, coaches, and parents alike. After training, the team enjoyed some well-earned downtime with a fun evening at the bowling alley—a perfect opportunity for team bonding.
It was lights out early that night, as the early start was catching up with everyone. Spirits were high, and the team was ready to take on the competition ahead.
The team arrived early at La Maison du Squash for the opening ceremony, followed by a quick warm-up session to prepare for the first challenge of the weekend—England.
The U13s were first on court, with several players making their international debuts. Despite facing a very strong English side, our players settled in well and found their game. Special mention goes to our No. 1s, Saibh Darcy and Jamie Morrissey, who both came heartbreakingly close to taking a game.
Next up were the U15s, clearly inspired by the grit shown by the U13s. Every player delivered a strong performance, pushing their opponents and showing real fight. There was some excellent squash on display, with a special shoutout to Danny Jones (Sutton LTC) and Nathan Walsh (Freshford and Celtic SC), both earning their first caps for Ireland. They rose to the occasion, playing bold, attacking squash. Danny even pulled off the trick shot of the tournament to earn a point for the team!
Final Scores:
U13: England 6 – 0 Ireland
U15: England 6 – 0 Ireland
Saturday morning brought another big challenge as both Irish squads faced off against hosts France.
The U13s were up first, with debuts for Eoin O’Brien (Sutton Lawn Tennis Club) and Ruby Carroll (Limerick Lawn Tennis Club). Both players gave it everything, battling hard and showing real determination against top-class opponents.
The U15s followed, facing some of Europe’s finest junior talent. Despite the tough opposition, the team rose to the occasion and showed serious grit and skill. Gabby Curran (Belfast Boat Club) and Ben Lynch (Galway LTC) stepped into the lineup for this one, both putting in strong, composed performances and making life difficult for their French opponents.
Final Scores:
U13: France 6 – 0 Ireland (1-18)
U15: France 6 – 0 Ireland (1-18)
U13s were first on court, and the squad delivered some brilliant performances. Harry Knox (Celtic Squash Club) impressed with a commanding 3-1 win, while Josh Archer (Belfast Boat Club) cruised to a 3-0 victory—both showcasing a level of squash beyond their years. Jamie Morrissey (Celtic Squash Club), Saibh Darcy (Sutton LTC), and Aurora McDonnell (Mountpleasant LTC) also put in high-quality performances that kept the pressure on throughout their matches.
But the standout clash—and a top contender for match of the day—came from Daisy Morrissey (Celtic Squash Club). In a nail-biting 3-2 thriller, Daisy edged out her opponent in a match that swung back and forth: up 1-0, down 2-1, then mounting a spirited comeback to seal it for Ireland. A special shoutout to the travelling parents who (unofficially) played every point of that final set from outside the glass!
With the tie ending 3-3, it came down to countback—Wales narrowly edging it 12-9.
Determined to flip the narrative, the U15s came out firing. Nathan Walsh, Danny Jones, and Michael Lai (Mountpleasant LTC) delivered dominant 3-0 wins, giving Ireland a crucial edge. The girls—Laya Sabry, Ashrakat Elmahgoub, and Zoe Nyhan (all Mountpleasant LTC)—fought hard, with Ashrakat and Zoe grabbing those all-important points needed to push Ireland over the line.
This time, it was Ireland who took the countback win with an 11-9 score!
Final Scores:
U13: Ireland 3 – 3 Wales (9-12 on countback)
U15: Ireland 3 – 3 Wales (11-9 on countback)
The final day of the tournament came around all too quickly, with both Irish teams set for one last challenge—taking on Scotland in a Sunday morning battle to close out a fantastic weekend of squash.
U13s kicked things off, determined to finish strong. There were solid performances across the board from Saibh, Jamie, Josh, Aurora, Eoin, and Ruby. Eoin O’Brien opened the scoring for Ireland, sealing the win with great returns and some slick trickle boasts. Over on the other court, Ruby Carroll followed up with another win, coming through 3-1 after a marathon third game that ended 17-15—showing serious grit and mental toughness.
Next up, it was time for the U15s to bring the weekend to a close. Danny Jones and Nathan Walsh once again delivered excellent wins, demonstrating maturity beyond their years and creating plenty of attacking opportunities. Ben, Ashrakat, Zoe and Gabby all played with heart and determination, ending the tournament with strong performances they can be proud of.
Final Scores:
U13: Ireland 2 – 4 Scotland (6-13)
U15: Ireland 2 – 4 Scotland (6-13)
A fantastic weekend showcasing some of Ireland’s brightest young talent at U13 and U15 level—an exceptional group of players we’re sure to see plenty more of in the years to come!
Full scores:
The 2025 season promises to be a thrilling year for our talented junior teams as they prepare to represent Ireland in three major competitions: the Five Nations Tournament, the European U19 Team Championships, and the European U15 & U17 Championships. With a wealth of skill and determination, these young athletes are set to showcase their talents on the international stage.
The prestigious Five Nations Tournament will see our U13 and U15 squads face off against top-level competition from France, England, Scotland and Wales in Nantes at the start of April. Both the U13 and U15 squads are full of players coming off exceptional domestic seasons ready to burst onto the international stage. Learn more about the Five Nations Tournament here.
U15 Squad:
U13 Squad:
Our U19 squad will take on Europe’s finest teams at the upcoming European U19 Team Championships in Prague with an incredibly strong team set to don the Irish colours. U19 national champions Danny Lynch and Ella Erickson headline the side. The pair will be joined by plenty of other domestically dominant stars who are once again set to represent Ireland on the continental stage in this highly competitive event. Learn more about the European U19 Team Championships here.
U19 Squad:
Rounding off the busy schedule, our U15 and U17 teams will compete in the European Championships in Bordeaux, France in May. This event will put both our U15 and U17 teams to the ultimate test and provide an opportunity for them to showcase their talents under the European spotlight. Learn more about the European U15 & U17 Championships here.
U17 Squad:
U15 Squad:
The depth of talent across all age groups is a testament to the dedication of the players, coaches, and support teams. As the countdown to these competitions continues, our junior squads are training hard to make their nation proud.
Stay tuned for updates on their performances and achievements in these upcoming tournaments. Best of luck to all the teams!
Squash Ireland is delighted to announce the appointment of David Noone as Junior Performance Coach and Michael Conroy as Junior Development Coach. Both coaches will assume their roles immediately as part of Squash Ireland’s commitment to enhancing its high-performance structures. Squash Ireland’s National Coaches will be engaging with players and parents regarding squad sessions and preparations for upcoming international tournaments
The positions attracted applications from around the world, making for a highly competitive selection process.
David Noone – Junior Performance Coach (U19 & U17)
A Level 3 WSF-certified coach, David Noone brings extensive experience in coaching national champions and international competitors. David has been involved in Squash Ireland’s national coaching setup since 2015, playing a pivotal role in producing some of the most successful junior players. His work with the Irish junior squads has led to podium finishes at the Junior European Championships, including two silvers and a bronze.
In addition to his national coaching duties, David has served as the Head Coach and Performance Director at Galway Lawn Tennis Club, where he has built a thriving junior programme. He has also played a role in organising Professional Squash Association (PSA) events, helping to raise the profile of Irish squash internationally.
Michael Conroy – Junior Development Coach (U15 & U13)
Michael’s passion for coaching blossomed early, as he guided players of all ages, from primary school students to adult club competitors. Michael has extensive experience of working with young people operating his own coaching programme at Leinster Cricket Club and developing squash talent across Dublin. His academic background in strength and conditioning, periodisation, and nutrition enhances his coaching effectiveness, particularly with the Irish U17 National Junior Team, which he had coached at the European Championships since 2022.
Squash Ireland CEO, Scott Graham, emphasised the importance of these appointments.
“Developing our high-performance structures from junior to senior elite level has been a high priority for Squash Ireland. We were delighted to appoint Arthur Gaskin as Head Coach in November 2024, and we have moved quickly to bolster our high-performance unit with two further part-time junior coaches.
“Both David and Michael are passionate about squash in Ireland and are fully committed to supporting and developing young squash players across the island of Ireland. I am really looking forward to seeing the high-performance structures continue to develop under Arthur’s leadership, with the support of David, Michael, and all the coaches working with Irish players.”
Squash Ireland Head Coach, Arthur Gaskin, added:
“I couldn’t be more excited about the appointments of David and Michael and the opportunity to start working together. Both coaches will add immense value to the HP structures, are dedicated to their craft, and are committed to helping students become the best version of themselves.”
Following the appointment of a Head Coach in November 2024, Squash Ireland is further developing the high performance unit seeking to appoint a Junior Performance Coach and Junior Development Coach to oversee the junior performance programme and develop a pathway for developing world-class talent.
Squash Ireland is the National Governing Body for Squash on the island of Ireland. The organisation has experienced significant growth with the number of affiliated clubs, members, coaches, tournaments, and leagues increasing. A major restructuring has also taken place with the move to a strategically focused board of directors and growth in staffing from two to eight over the past 18 months.
The inclusion of squash in the LA 2028 Olympics has injected new energy and focused attention on developing a world-class high-performance programme to nurture talent and provide players with the necessary support to compete at European, World and Olympic level. Squash Ireland players have reached the pinnacle of the sport and there is a proud history of Irish players competing at the highest levels of the game.
The Junior Performance Coach and the Junior Development Coach positions are initially offered on a 12-month fixed-term contract, with the possibility of an extension and expansion of the role.
When applying by email, please include a letter of introduction detailing your skills and experience relevant to the role and your Curriculum Vitae outlining your skills and work experience. Please send these materials no later than the 22nd of January 2025 to Squash Ireland at [email protected].
For more information:
Squash Ireland is pleased to confirm the appointment of two young leaders to the Junior Committee.
Dean Dromgoole will take on the role of Junior Secretary, while Maria Protsepova will also join the Junior Committee, bringing new energy and ideas that will undoubtedly help grow junior squash.
Dean brings 15 years of experience competing in Ireland and across Europe and is registered as a PSA professional player. As a squash coach, Dean works regularly with young players and, as a former player himself, understands the junior squash scene very well. He is currently studying Mechanical Engineering at TU Dublin and plans to attend the majority of Junior Tour events.
Maria Protsepova has represented Ireland at the junior level, competing across Europe and as far as Australia at the World Junior Squash Championships. In addition to her experience as a player and coach, Maria is a committee member at Mount Pleasant LTC and a student of Law and German at Trinity College Dublin.
Maria brings with her a passion for promoting squash to junior players and, while catering to top players, she is also keen to develop an inclusive and welcoming environment to encourage more young people to play squash at all levels.
Speaking about the appointments, Irish Squash CEO Scott Graham said:
“I am delighted that both Dean and Maria have stepped forward to join the Junior Committee. We are putting a real focus on developing junior sections within clubs and broadening the player base, with more young people becoming involved in squash. I am particularly pleased that we have such excellent young leaders coming forward with fresh ideas.”
The role of Senior Secretary remains vacant. Please contact [email protected] for more information or to express your interest in this volunteer role.
The Junior Committee for the 2024/25 season is Dean Dromgoole (Junior Secondary), Maria Protsepova, David Noone (Connacht Rep), Eoin Ryan (Leinster Rep), Brendan Connolly (Munster Rep) and Josh McVeigh (Ulster Rep).
Irish Squash is seeking to appoint a Junior Secretary and a Senior Secretary to support the promotion and development of squash for their respective age groups. These are pivotal volunteer roles that require an in-depth understanding of the game, as well as the challenges and opportunities for players across the island of Ireland.
Applications are sought by the 2nd of August.
See Details of each role and how to apply below:
Irish Squash – Junior Secretary – Advertisement – July 2024
Irish Squash – Senior Secretary – Advertisement – July 2024
Day 1
Our young Irish stars are a few days into the 2024 world junior experience here in Houston, Texas. They had a smooth journey from Ireland, through Chicago and were then met by the extreme heat at Houston airport.
The club, Houston Squash Club, is situated on a highway in a sort of industrial area. Not a footpath in sight. Certainly no strolls for a coffee between matches. It’s a very big squash club, two glass courts and 13 traditional glass backs. All courts play well and some even have the glass side walls for extra viewing pleasure – all in all a very impressive complex, courts scattered in all directions and the bleacher seating for the super bright show court will allow for big audiences.
The opening ceremony was held on the main glass court, a nice experience for all teams being introduced one by one and then seated to listen to the American national anthem performed by a singer kitted out in full Texas style denim, boots and hat.
With one of the biggest entries to any world junior championships, there are almost 250 players. All our Irish guys were facing world class opponents, all with mammoth tasks on their hands.
Danny Lynch was first up, facing top American Zane Patel. Danny held his own throughout the match, frustrated the 9/16 seed in all departments and had good leads in the first and third. A superb performance over all, one to be happy with but in the end a 3-0 victory to the American.
Conal Jackson pushed hard against a speedy player from Hong Kong. Showing glimpses of his brilliance, Conal managed to get to 6’s and 7’s but could not get close to the game balls. Great start for the 16 year old!
Yuv Pahuja an tan Snodgrass were both on the show court, a big change. Bright light, by cameras, big opponents- literally and physically.Yuv couldn’t manage to get into his Canadian opponent, always on the back foot but did put a good game together in the 2nd!
Tristan faced Marwan Asal, younger brother of Mostafa, who plays a similar style. Battering the ball past Tristan, then battering it straight into the nick. A super uncomfortable player to play against and one that will be a force going deep into the main draw. Tristan handled himself well for sure.
Day 2
Day two got off to a flyer. Danny Lynch put on a fine display to get a 3-0 victory over a South African player, finishing off the match at almost the exact same time as Ireland slotted the drop goal to beat the springboks in the rugby, great fun whilst sitting beside the South African team.
Yuv Pahuja had a Korean opponent, a team that posses some serious talent and could go deep. Yuv played out of his skin, amazing shots kept him in the running for the first two games but the third got away quickly but confidence growing.
Conal Jackson had another gutsy display against an Indian player who looked twice his age. Going two – love down, he mustered up something special to clinch the third. The fourth was a bridge too far.
Tristan Snodgrass was playing well in his encounter with a player from Guyana, going full throttle in the first and looking good. One nil up, at the start of the second, a lunge to the front left landed awkwardly for Tristan and he was rattled by this. He played out the match to no avail after some physio treatment but we will have to assess the full extent of the damage.
It’s hotel, bus and squash courts for the foreseeable for the team and travelling support, surrounded by some inspirational matches from the world’s best, they’ll be soaking it all up and learning as much as possible. Plenty more rounds to come over the next few days before the teams event.
Day 3 & 4
Our Irish team has had mixed fortune since day two. The way the championship works this year is that you’re guaranteed four matches, the positions don’t get played out through the event.
We got a true world championship feeling with a massive mix of nations to play and an abundance of different styles, techniques and tactics on show for us to learn from.
Yuv Pahuja had two more matches, first against an athletic French player, Mathias De La Colina, who out powered Yuv in most areas. As ever, the Belfast man did display some very sweet hitting, outstanding clean winners when his timing was on, but went down in three. Yuv’s fourth match, on day four, was against a Brazilian. What a match up it was. Yuv had to wait the full day for his game, going on last of all matches in the club. This didn’t affect him though, he was on fire. Taking a 1-0 lead, the winners were being thumped into all corners when the chances were there. The second was super close. Narrowly missing out 11-9. The Brazilian pulled away in the third and fourth, being roared on by his supremely enthusiastic mother, and closed out the match in four, ending Pahuja’s event. Lots of good squash played, lots of experience and inspiration gained for the team event!
Tristan Snodgrass, after the aforementioned incident whilst playing Louis Da Silva, decided to forgo his third match and let the strain on his ankle heal. This was a smart move as he was able to play the next round fully mobile and give it his best shot. Snodgrass faced Thomas Scott, from Australia. The two lads went toe to toe, battling every point, furious high paced rallies in the first two games. Both games went the distance, but also went against the Dubliner, narrowly. 9-11, 10-12. Tristan fought valiantly in the third but Scott pulled away and finished it off, 11-6. Also bringing Tristan’s individual championship to close. Teams to look forward to!
Conal Jackson put in a strong performance in his next match, he demonstrated his ability to punish opponents with some super direct hitting, great flat straight drives hitting dying targets in the back corners with impressive consistency, following up with deft touch to the front and some decent deception. He was too good for Mohryan Baksh, dispatching him 11-1, 11-5, 11-9. Moving on to his next battle, Conal faced a more familiar foe in a Spanish player, Javier Muñoz. This was tight! The whole way through, 11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 9-11, the score line tells it all. In total points, 50-49 to the Spanish. So hard to take, but that’s sport I guess. Fine margins decide so much. Conal was a class act though, a superb performance. Even the referee commented on how much he enjoyed the match.
Danny Lynch was in great form. He faced a formidable opponent in top Canadian player, Faazil Khan. Out powered for the most part, but the Galweigan certainly put up a fight. Taking the lead in the first and third but to no avail. Remaining ever resilient, Danny approached the next match with real positivity. A Columbian, Thomas Rodriguez. Much like Conal’s five set battle, Danny was trading point for point with Rodriguez and taking a share of the spoils to bring it to a fifth set. Playing in the glass court added to the drama, the white ball, bright lights, the clonk of the racket off the glass side walls and the noise. The suspense was immense. Going close to the distance in the fifth, Lynch closed it out to the joy of his team mates, 11-8. A great win. This brought Danny into Monday, the sole Irish player left. He faced a Japanese opponent on the same glass court. Again, the first game was incredibly close. 13-11 to Ren Makino. The two traded blows and perhaps Danny got a little caught up in a hitting battle, Makino attacking a little more in the second, every attack going his way to pull a two game lead. The third was better from the Irishman but not enough to stop Makino, going down in three.
All four players will now be in training mode for the team event. But we’re lucky enough to witness the matches in the main draw, today’s 1/4 finals were spectacular. I would highly recommend any squash fan to watch back, the drama and the upsets were a pleasure to behold, with capacity crowds and an amazing show court, Houston are certainly putting on a good show.
Days in build up to Team Event
As the lads prepare for the team event which starts on Friday, we’ve kept busy on the Houston courts. Training each day and sharpening the tools for what is set to be a big challenge. The four players have gotten plenty of motivation and inspiration from the immensely high quality surrounding us. Tristan trained some Aussies today, their coach is ex world no.4 Stewart Boswell, a nice little bit of extracurricular squash for him.
This event is the biggest ever gathering of international squash teams with 25 men’s teams and 17 ladies teams. Our pool stages, we have drawn the home favourites, USA, and the current European champions, France. With just three teams in each of the 8 pools, we have our work cut out but looking forward to the challenge.
Finals day today saw two amazing champions crowned – Mohamed Zakaria is officially the youngest ever men’s junior world champ, at just 16. Amina Orfi, the first to win 3 years in a row, she just turned 17. Future, if not current, greats of the game without doubt!!
The big surprise in the event was Korean Joo Young Na, a sensation, reaching the final. Particularly inspiring as Korea is not a squash stronghold, proving it’s possible from any corner of the globe.
Our closing ceremony for the individual event was this evening, the club owner and promoter, Jahanzeb Khan, treated all players to an outstanding feed in a Middle Eastern style restaurant, great chance for all players to mingle and hopefully make some friends that could last a lifetime.
We have a rest day tomorrow, a light practice only, and then it’s down to the serious business of the best part, the team event.
Team Event – Pool Stages
Three days of the world team championship event have passed and we have both of our pool games finished. This groups of U19 boys have been exceptional, a real credit to their country. All players have been enthusiastic, given their all in each match and their positivity has been instrumental in making the event so enjoyable.
The first team we played was the USA, a team stacked with top players and a funny line up. Typically, as the rules state, you play your strongest player at no.1, and second at no.2.. etc. the Americans line up had the individual events no.3/4 seed playing at number 3 on their team, a bit unusual.
But alas we took to the court with Yuv Pahuja first on against said opponent, Rishi Sirvastava, the U19 US junior open champion. The pace was frantic. Every ball was coming at Yuv a lot quicker than he had played against before and all his trademark winners were being returned with interest. He battled hard, chased down what he could and put on a good show. But the end result was 3-0 to Rishi.
Tristan Snodgrass up next, playing the American national champion, Rustin Wiser. This kid does not look like your typical squash player, more like a rugby player in his build. But he can move. Putting all his skills in display, he never really let Tristan settle. Very smooth and fast swing, with a nice hold, it was hard for Tristan to find a way to dominate the centre of the court. After going two love down, Tristan focused more on his basic squash, hit better targets and took the lead. He was playing with a lot of heart and got to 7-7 but Rustin pulled away to take the victory.
Danny Lynch was up next playing the top string match. He took on Zane Patel, who he had faced in the individual championship. Knowing how tough Zane is, this was a great challenge. All rallies were hotly contested, long and gruelling. The pace super high with some very entertaining squash. Zane played the first two games like a man possessed, he was leaping into every ball and cutting in volley drops from well in front of the T line. But Danny fought hard and got close, especially in the third game but it wasn’t to be.
We lost the tie 3-0.
Our next match against the European Champions, France, what a pool to be in, tough going. As a team, we just took it point by point and focused on our performance, controlling whatever we can.
This was our earliest match and we lined out with Danny, Tristan and Conal, playing order was 3.1.2. Conal up first.
What an opening game, Jackson coming out of the blocks firing, using attacking shots to great effect, counter drops and nice backhand hold and flicks. He worked himself into game ball territory, 4 times! But the French resistance was impressive and Conal ended up losing the opener 14-12. The second game ran away a little and the third was back into battle mode. Going all the way to 9-9, some great squash coming from the Dubliner. He fought hard but couldn’t get it over the line, unfortunately losing 3-0.
Danny Lynch was playing Amir Khaled-Jousselin, the rising star of French squash. Amir was the won who clinched the U19 euros title for France, with a giant win over Englands Abdulah Eissa. But with increasing confidence and performance, Danny was keen to show what he’s capable of. He took the game to the Frenchman, exhilarating squash, corner to corner stuff. Every rally competitive. A few crucial points going the way of the French, and Danny was 2-0 down but very much in the match. The third game, Danny had Amir keeled over a few times, considering the fitness of this player it showed how much work Danny had put into him. At 9-9, I definitely thought we’d be seeing a 4th game. Danny played an immaculate wide cross court, pretty much dying at the back of the court but somehow the referee awarded a stroke to France, baffling decision, and Amir needed just the one chance to convert match ball.
Tristan was playing Antonin Romieu, another famously good French player. Once a British open semifinalist. This guy was super quick and Tristan knew all about in the opening game. Nearly every drive Tristan hit was cut off with a volley. To control the T was a real mission. Romieu was moving Tristan a lot and clinical with his finishing also. Going two love down, the third game had more promise. Getting a bit of a lead, 6-4 up, things could have swayed the Irish players way with a couple more points. But again, the tenacity of the French, he dug in for the punishing rallies and found more winners than Tristan. Another 3-0 but a great battle.
The tie ended 3-0 but a display the lads can be proud of. Bridging that gap to the worlds best will be very possible if we can keep our players exposed to playing a such a high pace.
We continue into the next section of the draw, a top 16 spot no longer possible for us. But we will fight for every match and see how we fair out.
Team Event – Placings
What a day. The finest of margins can be so relevant in sport, for us, today couldn’t have been much closer as we topped our group to play for 17th place at the worlds.
Our morning match was against Germany. A team we had some history with from the European Championships this year. At that event we beat Germany in group stages but didn’t get out of our group, they ended up in 5th position, it was brutal. Today we beat them again and it looked like history may repeat itself. Tristan had a dominant performance, winning convincingly, 3-0. Danny played out of his skin, losing a real battle with the no.1, a great showing. And Conal had the pressure of the decider. Playing a super unorthodox power house of a hitter, Conal got off to a bad start, losing the first. However, his game plan was simple, he just needed to stick to his guns and he would get through. What a brave performance from the 16 year old, he did what was needed, winning three close games to take the win
Our second tie was against the Philippines, who Germany had beaten 2-1. Yuv got us started, playing against an athletic mover and solid squash player. He gave everything he had but in the third game it was evident that Yuv was in some pain, he unfortunately lost 3-0, but got some vital points on the board.
Danny had another rip roarer of a match. Full court action, some ridiculously good retrieving from both, apt that the match went the distance. Both players running on fumes, Danny unfortunately didn’t convert. Conal stepped up for the third match and thumped the no.3, a solid 3-0 performance but we were still devastated by the loss, it was all going to points count back to decide the group. We were level on match wins, level on game wins with Germany and topped the group by 5 single points, so incredibly close!
We now face off in another group with Spain and Switzerland, our final two matches.
Final Day
Another relatively early start for the team today, breakfast in the hotel for 0700, not something that we will miss much, same spread of scrambled eggs and potato cubes for two weeks, served on polystyrene plates, plastic cutlery and coffee in polystyrene cups, not a reusable item in sight.
The team in great spirits, looking forward to the challenge of the day! We had our 10am match against Spain, this time we played Tristan at 1, Yuv at 2 and Conal at 3. The guys have been putting in huge efforts so it’s great having a team of four to mix and match for different situations.
We were on the glass court today, it plays very well and has a cosy surrounding, players were very happy playing here! Tristan was up first against the incredibly awkward Marc Alterriba. Tristan was off to a flying start and got a few nice back wall nicks to help settle the nerves. The Spaniard fought back and clinched a tight opener. Similarly tight squash in the second, better tactics from Snodgrass to sneak it 12-10. Across the match, the tone never changed, long battling rallies, trading points, going the distance with huge efforts from both sides. Unfortunately it went the way of the more accurate Spaniard, 3-1.
Conal up next, a familiar foe in Javier Fraser Munõz. They had a giant battle in the individual event. Conal losing 11-9 in the 5th.
Today Conal was a little slow to start, going 5-0 down. Fighting, as ever, he clawed it back but lost the opener. In the second, he found his accuracy, hurting the left handed Spaniard with clinging counter drops on the right side wall. The third and fourth games were close but did not go the way of the Irish, both 11-6.
Yuv had an uphill battle with Adrian Revert Escutia. This guy was too quick, pouncing on anything Yuv hit loose and was pretty clinical in doing so. A valiant effort from the Irishman, gaining potentially valuable points in a tough contest.
Our final match of this years world championships was against Switzerland. A strong team, very consistent and fit. The tradition when playing teams at championships is generally to swap pennants or pins from your governing body. We have pins and pennants, the Swiss have toblerone, it’s a great swap, often hoovered up with 30 minutes of the tie finishing.
This evening, Danny, Yuv and Tristan played. Danny had a tough one, losing 3-0 with maybe his only sub par performance of the event, he has played extremely well throughout but wasn’t at the races today, mental and physical fatigue perhaps, combined with a Swiss player who was very stingy with errors and chased down every ball!
Yuv played a blinder in the opening game, going 8-0 up! And taking the first game. He played some exciting squash and forced the Swiss to go ultra defensive. His defensive lobs turned out to be very tricky and Yuv did play some great shots from a height but having to do so time and time again drew some errors out of the Belfast man. Tight all the way and a big effort but no joy for Ireland.
Tristan played a giant named Lasse. This Swiss player must be 6ft4 or 6ft5, anything in the middle was being punished and he had a very tidy backhand technique that allowed him to cut the ball in very well. First game was one sided, 11-1. But the next two were super close, 11-8, 11-8 and could have went either way. Just those slight lapses of concentration proving vital.
A three love loss for Ireland but an over all top twenty finish, which was above our seeding! What an experience, so many lessons learned, so much inspiration to keep improving. And what a bunch of lads, memories for life!!
Massive Thank you to David Noone for the Updates
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