National Champion Moran Stages Major Upset on Home Court at Irish Open

The 24-year-old had not played a PSA Tour match of any kind for more than a year. He did, however, come into this event as the Irish national champion, having upset his country’s No.1, Sam Buckley, in an epic, 103-minute final in February. That match took place on Court 1 at Dublin’s Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club, and Moran was back on the very same court for today’s encounter with Azana, a player ranked almost 150 places above him in the world.

If there was any doubt about whether Moran would be overawed, either by his ranking deficit or the occasion, that was quickly squashed as he raced into a 9-5 lead in game one, closing it out 11-6 on a crisp forehand volley winner down the line.

He then held his nerve to take game two 11-9, and made the perfect start to game three, winning the first three points to settle any nerves that may have been lingering.

3-0 soon became 9-3 and a backhand drop into the tin from Azana handed the Irishman seven match balls.

He only needed one, though, reaching out to hit a deft forehand volley drop down the line, ending proceedings and earning himself a first World event win on the PSA Squash Tour.

That result followed a comfortable win for Hannah Craig against fellow Irishwoman Breanne Flynn. Flynn had been sidelined with a foot injury sustained in March, making this event her first appearance back on court since then.

Wildcard Hannah McGugan, a teammate of Craig’s in Ireland’s recent bronze medal run at the European Team Championships, faced world No.60 Xin Ying Yee but was unable to progress, falling in straight games.

There will be no place in round two for Sam Buckley, despite a valiant effort in an eventful late-night battle with England’s Tom Walsh. The Irish men’s No.1 had stunned Marwan Elshorbagy at the recent European Team Championships, and was hoping to take out another English player here in the form of Walsh, a close friend and training partner of Azana.

Playing on the unique green court, Buckley made the perfect start by winning game one 11-6, only to be bageled in the second.

Walsh then took game three 11-5 but was 6-4 down in the fourth when play was switched to Court 2, with the referee deeming Court 1 unsafe to play due to the amount of sweat falling from both players onto the floor.

After warming up a new ball, Buckley closed out the game 11-7, drawing huge cheers from the crowd, who had packed onto the balcony and around the glass door below.

Ultimately, though, his comeback charge would fall short, as Walsh kept his composure well, establishing an early lead in game five and never letting Buckley back into the contest, firing a backhand volley winner into the nick on match ball, letting out a huge roar of emotion.

In Round two, Irish duo Craig and Moran will take on women’s top seed Tesni Murphy and Portugal’s Rui Soares respectively. Round two action from court 1 will stream live on the SQUASHTV Live Streaming YouTube channel on Wednesday, May 21st, kicking off at 2pm local time.

Results

Men’s Round One

Samuel Osborne – Wylde (ENG) bt. Mazen Gamal (EGY) 3-0: 12-10, 11-1, 11-7 (42m)
Charlie Lee (ENG) bt. Brice Nicolas (FRA) 3-1: 12-10, 11-6, 7-11, 11-6 (58m)
Emyr Evans (WAL) bt. Salah Eltorgman (CAN) 3-1: 11-8, 5-11, 13-11, 11-7 (40m)
Shahjahan Khan (USA) bt. David Bernet (SUI) 3-0: 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 (49m)
Conor Moran (IRL) bt. Jeremias Azaña (ARG)3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-3 (34m)
Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt. Finnlay Withington (ENG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-9, 11-9
Melvil Scianimanico (FRA) bt. Yannik Omlor (GER) 3-1: 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 12-10 (52m)
Tom Walsh (ENG) bt. Sam Buckley (IRL) 3-2: 6-11, 11-0, 11-5, 7-11, 11-4 (60m)

Women’s Round One

Millie Tomlinson (ENG) bt. Katerina Tycova (GER) 3-0: 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 (32m)
Hana Ismail (EGY) bt. Alison Thomson (SCO) 3-1: 7-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-7 (37m)
Lowri Roberts (WAL) bt. Asia Harris (ENG) 3-2: 11-5, 7-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 (44m)
Jessica van der Walt (AUS) bt. Jacqueline Peychär (AUT) 3-0: 12-10, 11-8, 11-9 (31m)
Hannah Craig (IRL) bt. Breanne Flynn (IRL) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-1 (24m)
Xin Ying Yee (MAS) bt. Hannah McGugan (IRL) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-1 (17m)
Madeleine Hylland (NOR) bt. Kiera Marshall (ENG) 3-2: 11-9, 10-12, 6-11, 11-8, 11-9 (69m)

Fixtures

Men’s Round Two

[1] Greg Lobban (SCO) v Samuel Osborne – Wylde (ENG)

Charlie Lee (ENG) v [4] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI)

Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) v [5] Patrick Rooney (ENG)

[7] Rory Stewart (SCO) v Shahjahan Khan (USA)

[8] Rui Soares (POR) v Conor Moran (IRL)

Melvil Scianimanico (FRA) v [2] Jonah Bryant (ENG)

[3] George Parker (ENG) v Emyr Evans (WAL)

Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) v [6] Simon Herbert (ENG)

Women’s Round Two

[4] Torrie Malik (ENG) v Hana Ismail (EGY)

Millie Tomlinson (ENG) v [7] Saran Nghiem (ENG)

[6] Marta Dominguez (ESP) v Jessica van der Walt (AUS)

Lowri Roberts (WAL) v [2] Georgia Adderley (SCO)

[1] Tesni Murphy (WAL) v Hannah Craig (IRL)

Xin Ying Yee (MAS) v [5] Joelle King (NZL)

[8] Enora Villard (FRA) v Akanksha Salunkhe (IND)

Madeleine Hylland (NOR) v [3] Grace Gear (ENG)