Welsh Open disappointments for quartet

Ciaran lost out in the last sixteen in both the mixed and mens doubles while the singles saw both Stephenson and Murphy fail to get out of the qualifying rounds.

Stephenson though got the better of two English players both in straight sets before just failing to get one of the qualifying places, while Murphy had to come back from one set down to Matthew Clare (ENG) before losing in two close sets 21-18 21-17 to Matthew Widdicombe.

In the Mens Doubles Stephenson and Murphy they were to go out disappointingly in the opening round to English pair Robert Golding and Victor Liew having fought back to level but the English pair romped home 21-9 in the decider.

Ryan Stewart and Ciaran Chambers got one victory under their belt when they knocked out Darren Adamson and Scott Sankey but it was not a game for the faint hearted as the Alpha pair took the opening set 21-16 and then dropped the second before coming through 21-16 in the third set.

In the ladies doubles Sinead partnered Jennie King and they raced into a 20-13 lead in the quarter-final and were poised to go one set up but their English opponents had other ideas and eased their way in to the match and despite the Irish pair having seven game points they were unable to make the vital break-through and lost nine points on the trot to go one set in arrears.

Chambers and King who know each others games well and recently competed in the European Championships qualifying series of matches for Ireland were disappointingly unable to swing the game back in their favour and went out 22-20 21-8 after having earlier started day three so impressively beating Laura Baker and Laura Woodward 21-13 21-8.

Seeded No3 in the mixed doubles the Chambers opened well taking the first set 21-14 against James Lauder and Ira Banerjee but soon fell behind in the second and lost it 21-12 and whilst they were able to go through to the second round they failed to take the opening set against Christopher Coles and Sophie Brown (21-19) the English pair raced to victory 21-10 in just under the half hour.