Madeline Perry got off to a strong start in the Gillenmarkets Squash Irish Open on Wednesday at Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club as two out of three Irish players made it through to the quarter finals.

Number one seed in the women's event Perry beat qualifier England's Leonie Holt comfortably in three sets.

While Perry will be happy with her performance against the young English player, she faces AmericanOlivia Blatchford in the next round, the same player who beat her in last year’s quarter final.

Perry, with twenty years of professional Squash experience, will be well prepared for Thursday’s match, but acknowledges that the young American player - fresh off a tournament win in Paderborn, Germany - is a very dangerous opponent.

Aisling Blake also secured her place in the quarter finals after beating Tamika Saxby from Australia by three games to one.

“I was weary of her because I lost in Rotterdam in September to her. So I am delighted to get a win today, and I felt like I knew what I had to do”, said Blake.

In the men's event Arthur Gaskin - the Irish number one - lost to the number one seed Mazen Hesham (world ranking 30) of Egypt in three exciting games.

The young Egyptian looked like a future super star and gave Arthur Gaskin, who tried his best, very little to work with.