THE Connacht Open squash championships, sponsored by Club Orange, got under way last night in Galway's Lawn Tennis Club and the competition should become more interesting this afternoon, with some of the country's leading players clashing to the last compulsory domestic tournament of the season.
Injuries have already deprived the Irish selectors of the services of the two leading locally based players, Chris Collins and Louise Finnegan - both of whom have back injuries. However, while Finnegan's absence might clear up any outstanding selection dilemmas, the absence of the Old Belvedere captain has thrown open the fifth spot on the men's party for this month's European Championships in Amsterdam.
The men's team has been known for some time with Derek Ryan, Chris and Maurice Collins. Eoin Ryan and Stevie Richardson all pencilled in to travel, but Collins's admission of defeat in his four month fitness battle means what one place remains to be filled from those competing in Galway over the weekend.
Top seed Graeme Stewart would appear to have been an automatic choice for the team as he has now served the suspension which followed the World Championships two years ago, but his decision to skip the Nationals in late December after the association offered him the price of a train ticket from his native Belfast rather than a plane fare from his home in Vienna, now renders him ineligible for selection.
His likely victory this weekend is of little consequence then with the real focus of attention being the battle for honours behind him where Brian Lalor, Brian O'Connor, Darragh O'Flynn and John McKay are seeded to come through in that order.
In the women's event the team for the Netherlands will be announced tomorrow, but with current exile Aisling McArdle a certainty to be included, Finnegan definitely out and Anna McGeever expected to go despite missing this weekend through injury, there is little enough to actually be decided in the west.
Having competed on the circuit throughout the season Olivia French whose highly impressive display's in last year's Europeans will not have been forgotten - and northern youngster Madeline Perry seem certain to complete the four woman lineup.
On the PSA tour, meanwhile, Derek Ryan puts his high profiled midweek clash with world number one Jansher Khan at the British Open behind him this weekend as he heads for Nice and the French Open.
The Irish number one exceeded most expectations by taking a game off the world champion and pushing him hard for 82 minutes in a match which he says he thought he could win, but now there is France and the prospect of Anders Forslund in the first round.
