Squash Ireland CEO Scott Graham has paid tribute to Sam Buckley on becoming the first Irish men’s player to break into the PSA top 100 in a decade.
Buckley last week reached the quarter-finals of the 5eme Open Lagord in France after defeating Muhammad Asim Khan of Pakistan, the PSA No.75, 3-1 in the round of 16. That success lifted him five places in the rankings, up from No.104 to No.99.
Breaking into the top 100 is a significant milestone. Not since current Ireland head coach Arthur Gaskin was in his pomp has there been an Irish presence that high up the men’s rankings.
Ahead of Buckley’s next appearance, this Thursday’s round of 16 Bern Open meeting with No.204 Manuel Paquemar of France, chief executive Graham said: “Huge congratulations to Sam Buckley on breaking into the top 100.
“It’s a big milestone, but I know Sam won’t be stopping there, he will be pushing on and he is competing at a really high level. It’s an important stepping stone, but definitely it is only the beginning for Sam.”
Monday’s rankings update also confirmed a career-best rise for Conor Moran. Last weekend’s Connacht Senior Open title winner is now up to No.138, a whopping leap of 207 places from the No.345 he occupied last January.
“We also have Conor coming up behind as well,” continued Graham. “His ranking has improved from the mid-300s up to 138 at the moment.
“He has made huge strides over the last year with the way he is playing and some of the results he has had. He is definitely going to continue climbing the rankings, and no doubt he will have his eyes set on a top 100 world rankings as well.”
It’s not just in the men’s section where Ireland’s top players are gaining impressive traction. “On the women’s side, Hannah Craig has also got a top 100 ranking – No.68 at the moment – and we have Breanne Flynn, who is No.115 and also nearing a career high [her best is No.104].
“After coming back from injury, she is on a good trajectory and I am sure she is going to be pushing for a top 100.”
Giving an overview of the collective progress of Ireland’s leading high-performance players, Graham added: “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we had four players ranked inside the top 100 in the months ahead?
“Their performances and results are also going to inspire a lot of the other players who are looking at what the current crop are doing and saying, ‘I can do that as well if I pursue a career in squash playing on the PSA tour’. They definitely have the capability to become top 100 world-ranked players.
“In terms of the team competitions, European and World Championships, we need that strength in depth. We need four men and four women who are playing on the PSA tour, pushing each other on with a really high world ranking. That will improve the seeding at the Championships.”
Graham also thanked the mentors who have assisted the players and the sports organisations that have helped Squash Ireland increase its funding in recent times.
“Things are moving in the right direction in our high-performance programme. I want to thank all of the clubs, personal coaches, family members and so on who have helped the athletes to make it where they are.
“I also want to thank Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland for their investment in our high-performance programme, which is really starting to pay dividends.
“We are still at the early stages of it, but we can see the fruits of that now as we are developing players and pushing on to the next level. That is very exciting for the months and years ahead.”
