Numerous Irish players remain in the hunt for titles at the 2025 European Masters Individual Squash Championships following a hectic opening day of action in Wroclaw.
Those still alive include all three defending champions from Hamburg 2023, the last time the Championships were held.
Neil Macarron got his M45+ title defence underway with encouraging 3-0 and 3-1 wins over Tomas Havlik of the Czech Republic and Spain’s Edu Nadal to book a round of 16 clash with Ukraine’s Timofey Zheludkov on Thursday.
Macarron is joined in the round of 16 by Nigel Peyton, who followed a walkover against Dimitrios Skarakis of Greece with a 3-0 win over fellow Irishman Abhishek Thapar.
Rob Staunton began his M50+ title defence with a 3-0 win over Poland’s Marceli Cziba. He now faces the Hungarian, Janos Kozma, in the round of 32.
David Ayerst, Nick Staunton and Philip Coleman also progressed to the M50+ round of 32 with 3-0, 3-1 and 3-0 wins over respective Polish (two) and Swedish round of 64 opponents.
Kyran Hurley, the third Irish player defending a 2023 title, has his round of 16 opener in the M70+ against France’s Jaime Antonio Gregoire pushed back until Thursday.
Elsewhere, Siobhan Parker reached the W40+ quarter-finals with a 3-1 Wednesday win over Poland’s Joanna Wilinska, Brian Lalor and Tom Crowe advanced to the M55+ round of 32 with 3-0 and 3-1 wins over German opposition, and Gerry Callanan and Teddy Reinecke both reached the M60+ round of 16 with a pair of wins each.
Four other Irish players also enjoyed winning starts, Rosie Barry (W60+), John Dineen (M65+), David Lalor (M65+) and Maureen Duke (W65+)
European Masters Individual Squash Championships – Main Draw results (Wednesday)
MEN 40+: Round of 64
Cian Peyton WALKOVER CONCEDED v Przemyslaw Burda [17/32, Poland]
Przemyslaw Hofman [17/32] WON 3-1 (11-2, 11-2, 8-11, 11-2) v Grzegorz Adach [Poland]. Round of 32: LOST 2-3 (11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 6-11, 5-11) v Simon Vikstrom [9/16, Sweden]
WOMEN 40+: Round of 16
Siobhan Parker [5/8] WON 3-1 (7-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-2) v Joanna Wilinska [9/16, Poland]. NEXT: Quarter-final v Nicole Seils [3/4, Germany] on Thursday, 12:30 local
MEN 45+: Round of 64
Nigel Peyton [5/8] WALKOVER v Dimitrios Skarakis [Greece]. Round of 32: WON 3-0 (11-5, 11-2, 11-1) v Abhishek Thapar [17/32, Ireland]. NEXT: Round of 16 v Eduardo Razquin [9/16] on Thursday, 2pm local
Brian Butler [17/32] LOST 1-3 (11-7, 3-11, 7-11, 8-11) v Jarolav Skoriak [Slovakia]
Ronan Peyton [9/16] WON 3-0 (11-1, 11-4, 11-5) v Tino Orescanin [Croatia]. Round of 32: LOST 2-3 (7-11, 14-12, 12-14, 12-10, 12-14) v Dan Zilic [17/32, Germany]
Karl Gillis [17/32] LOST 2-3 (10-12, 4-11, 11-9, 11-5, 10-12) v Michal Jonczyk [Poland]
Neil Macarron [2] WON 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-0) v Tomas Havlik [Czech]. Round of 32: WON 3-1 (11-2, 8-11, 11-2, 11-1) v Edu Nadal [17/32, Spain). NEXT: Round of 16 v Timofey Zheludkov [9/16, Ukraine] on Thursday, 2:30pm local
Abhishek Thapar [17/32] Won 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-3) v Bogdan Statzko [Czech]. Round of 32: LOST 0-3 (11-5, 11-2, 11-1) v Nigel Peyton [5/8, Ireland]
MEN 50+: Round of 64
David Ayerst [5/8] WON 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-4) v Tiger Sowa [Poland]. NEXT: Round of 32 v Istvan Horvath [17/32, Hungary) on Thursday, 1:30pm local
Rob Staunton [3/4] WON 3-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-6) v Marceli Cziba [Poland]. NEXT: Round of 32 v Janos Kozma [17/32, Hungary] on Thursday, 1:30pm local
Nick Staunton [3/4] WON 3-1 (10-12, 11-4, 11-2, 11-3) v Slawomir Olkuski [Poland]. NEXT: Round of 32 v Nir Bejerano [17/32, Israel] on Thursday, 1:30pm local
Philip Coleman [17/32] WON 3-0 (11-6, 11-2, 11-8) v Tobias Kamperin [Sweden]. NEXT: Round of 32 v Matthieu Benoit [2, France] on Thursday, 2pm local
MEN 55+: Round of 64
Brian Lalor [5/8] WON 3-0 (11-4, 11-4, 11-4) v Oliver Lobisch [Germany]. NEXT: Round of 32 v Robert Svrlansky [17/32, Czech] on Thursday, 1pm local
Tom Crowe [17/32] WON 3-1 (11-8, 6-11, 11-3, 11-8) v Martin Augst [Germany]. NEXT: Round of 32 v Peter Buchan [9/16, Scotland] on Thursday, 1pm local
MEN 60+: Round of 64
Timmy McCarthy LOST 0-3 (4-11, 4-11, 5-11) v John Marsden [17/32 – Germany]
Gerry Callanan WON 3-0 (11-4, 12-10, 11-5) v Steven Couper [England]. Round of 32: WON 3-1 (11-7, 11-6, 7-11, 11-7) v Sean Lafleur [France]. NEXT: Round of 16 v Darren Withey [3/4, England] on Thursday, 2pm local
Teddy Reinecke WALKOVER v Norbert Suttner [9/16, Germany]. Round of 32: WON 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-2) v David Harris [17/32, England]. NEXT: Round of 16 v Gilles Petitjean [5/8, France] on Thursday, 2:30pm local
WOMEN 60+: Pool A round 1
Rosie Barry [5/8] WON 3-1 (11-7, 11-9, 11-13, 11-8) v Catherine Ezvan [France, 9/16]. NEXT: Pool A round 2 v Sue Strachan [1, Scotland] on Thursday at 12pm local
MEN 65+: Round of 64
John Dineen [5/8] WON 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-3) v Ari Tanskanen [Finland]. NEXT: Round of 32 v Timothy McGlynn [17/32, England] on Thursday, 11:20am local
Gerry Delaney LOST 0-3 (9-11, 8-11, 6-11) v Peter Hoefling [17/32, Germany]
David Lalor [17/32] WON 3-2 (7-11, 14-12, 12-10, 6-11, 11-7) v Gunter Simon [Germany]. Round of 32: Walkover v Richard Millman [3/4, England]. NEXT: Round of 16 v TBC on Thursday, 4pm local
WOMEN 65+
Pool A round 4: Rose Hynes [5/8] LOST 0-3 (2-11, 1-11, 7-11) v Wendy Norris [3/4, Wales]. NEXT: Pool A round 1 v Petra Ghanam [5/8, Germany] on Thursday, 11:20am local
Pool B round 5: Maureen Duke [3/4] WON 3-1 (11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4) v Iris Hoefling [5/8, Germany]. Pool B round 4: WON 3-1 (11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4) v Irene Gardette [5/8, France]. NEXT: Pool B round 1 v Julianna Weber [9/16, Hungary] on Thursday, 12pm local, and Pool B round 2 v Lynne Davies [2, Wales] at TBC time
MEN 70+: Round of 16
Peter Stephens [3/4] v Pekka Riikonen [9/16, Finland] – Thursday, 1pm local
Michael Conlon [3/4] v Joe McAuley [9/16] – Thursday, 12:30pm local
Kyran Hurley [2] v Jaime Antonio Gregoire [France] – Thursday, 12:30pm local
MEN 75+: Round of 16
Paddy Butler LOST 1-3 (15-13, 9-11, 5-11, 6-11) v Esa Touminen [3/4, Finland]
