More than 500 matches played over three days for Australian Open Graded events in Sydney

Nele Gilis (BEL) and Miguel Rodriguez (COL) were crowned 2022 Australian Open champions yesterday in Sydney, in a day that also marked the last day of the John Ireland Graded events, played alongside the PSA Challenger 30 event from 28-30 October.
 
More than 230 players participated in thirteen graded competitions from Premier to Junior D Grade, making the Australian Open event week the biggest in decades for participation.
 
With the youngest player aged just nine and the most senior still competing at 79, participants were spread across a wide range of ability, age and gender.
 
"We've been absolutely thrilled by the response of the squash community and it was amazing to see so many participants of all ages and abilities take to the courts in Sydney, some of them sharing space with international top players," said Tamika Hunt, Squash Australia National Lead for Competitions and Events.
 
More than 500 matches were played over the three days of competition, in a significant logistical effort delivered across five different venues in Sydney, including the Sydney University Sport and Fitness Centre, The University of NSW Squash Club, the Sydney CBD Squash Club, the Tattersalls Club and the Arena Sports Centre.
 
"We had a full men's draw from Premier to D grade, which isn't always easy to achieve and made it for some exciting competition," Hunt continued. "I'd like to thank our sponsors, the City Tattersall Club, the Catholic Club and the venues that have supported us to make this event possible. And of course I'd like to say a special thank you to all the officials, staff and volunteers who made such a fantastic contribution to the delivery."
 
The event ran in parallel with the final rounds of the 2022 Australian Open, this year upgraded to PSA Challenger 30 status in the PSA World Tour. Squash Australia CEO Rob Donaghue said he was pleased with the response of the squash community, adding that this is a solid platform to build the event even further in the next few years.
 
"The enthusiasm around this year's Australian Open proved that international events can drive participation and positively engage the Australian squash community. Participants had the opportunity to rub shoulders with elite international athletes and a chance to watch them up close, which is something powerful and inspiring especially for the next generation of squash players.
 
"The success of this edition shows that the squash community is keen for international events in Australia. We received terrific feedback from the athletes as well, and that gives us additional motivation as we keep working to build the profile of the sport in Australia and make the Australian Open even bigger and better for the years to come," Donaghue said.

John Ireland Graded events - results

Men's Premier Grade
1. Rex HEDRICK
2. Bryan LIM
3. Nicholas CALVERT

Women's Premier Grade
1. Colette SULTANA (QLD)
2. Rachael GRINHAM
3. Jennifer CONDIE

Men's A Grade
1. Hartaj BAINS
2. Scott TAYLOR
3. Manuel LEQUERICA

Women's A Grade
1. Hailey HO
2. Jessica ROGERSON
3. Brooke PRYOR

Men's B Grade
1. Ethan MIDDLETON
2. Edward MCKNIGHT
3. Ben LARSSON

Men's C Grade
1. Adam JOHNSTON
2. Ignacio MAS
3. Jon STRONGMAN

Women's C Grade
1. Emilia SCOTT
2. Rowena HENERY
3. Frankie CARNEY

Men's D Grade
1. Lorne GURNEY
2. Rehanul ALAM
3. Richard MURRAY

Women's D Grade
1. Kate LOW-NANG
2. Cordelia MOSS
3. Dana CARMICHAEL

Men's E Grade
1. David ELMS
2. David THACKERAY
3. Jeffrey LU

Junior B Grade
1.Leonard Newport
2.Chase Rogers

Junior C Grade
1.Kingston Lam
2.Nathanial Middleton

Junior D Grade
1. Kavin Shukla
2. Montana Barry