SQUASH: Irish OpenMadeline Perry won her third straight Cannon Kirk Irish Open at Fitzwilliam to the delight of the home crowd, beating New Zealander Jacklyn Hawkes in a one-sided final. Perry, the world number 10, put in a rock-solid display to take the match 3-0 in 35 minutes.
The Banbridge woman proved too strong for all opponents as she cruised through the event without dropping a game.
Hawkes, however, will take great comfort from a successful tournament where she went in as number five seed but just hadn't the energy left to take on Perry.
Alex Gough beat top seed Borja Golan of Spain in an inspiring final to take the men's title. The 36-year-old veteran of the circuit was playing his 16th PSA Tour final, his first dating all the way back to 1993.
The Irish crowd were treated to arguably the best contested final the Irish Open has seen in a dramatic 3-2, 90-minute match.
After sharing the first two games the third proved to be pivotal, going to a tie-break. With both players covering every inch of the court, the crowd were treated to an exhibition of inch-perfect lengths and pin-point drop shots.
World number 23 Gough eventually clinched the game 12-10, but tired noticeably in the fourth losing out 11-8. Into the deciding game and questions were being asked as to which player would hold their nerve as the players traded points throughout the game.
With the title in sight, both players produced amazing dives to retrieve seemingly impossible shots. The wily Welshman eventually took the fifth 11-9 and with it the men's title.
