North Wales Open 2026 Preview
Ladies and gentlemen… and anyone who found this tournament by accident…
Welcome to the North Wales Open.
Where confidence is high, legs are temporary,
and everyone claims they’re “just here for the matches”
while quietly planning their victory speech on the way to the venue.
This is two days of squash, stories,
and people discovering muscles they didn’t know existed.
Welcome to the tournament.
Where squash gets loud…
and Sunday gets legendary.
Grade A — Bloodlines at the Top
This isn’t just the main event.
It’s international caps.
National champions.
OLIVER coaches.
And now — father and son in the same draw.
Grade A never whispers.
It announces itself at 1:00pm.
Saturday – Quarter Finals
1:00pm
<1> George Thomas vs Mark Carnell
Top seed George Thomas — North Wales born, back from coaching in New Zealand — opens against Carnell.
Home soil. Number one beside his name. No room for sentiment.
1:00pm
Matt Turner vs <4> Jamie Silvester
Jamie Silvester, fourth seed and part of the Silvester presence this weekend, meets Turner in a match that could easily stretch beyond expectation.
2:30pm
<3> Josh Davies vs Paul “Agent 47” Barrell
Josh Davies — son of second seed Jon Davies — steps into Grade A seeded third.
Across from him: Paul “Agent 47” Barrell — OLIVER coach, Welsh international, former Masters champion.
That’s not a gentle quarter final.
1:00pm
Stuart Summers vs <2> Jon Davies
Jon “JD” Davies — current Welsh Over 50 National Champion and Welsh international — anchors the bottom half.
His son sits in the opposite half.
If both win twice…
Sunday becomes very interesting.
Saturday – Semi Finals (7:00pm)
Four remain.
Could be Thomas.
Could be Barrell.
Could be an all Davies clash
The bracket tightens.
Sunday – Final (5:00pm)
The last word of the weekend.
One court.
One Grade A champion.
And possibly…
a family conversation for the ages.
Grade B — No Soft Landings
Grade B doesn’t build slowly.
It starts at 12:30pm
and immediately asks questions.
Welsh internationals.
Former finalists.
And one top seed who knows everyone below him believes they can win this.
Saturday – Quarter Finals
12:30pm
<1> Callum Pedder vs Owen Heyes
Top seed Pedder opens the grade.
Heyes gets first swing at the crown.
12:30pm
Iwan Griffiths vs <4> Rob Monaghan
Fourth seed Monaghan — Welsh international —
meets Griffiths in what feels like a match that won’t follow a script.
12:00pm
<3> Ethan Willis vs Lee Thomas
Third seed Willis takes on Lee Thomas —
who knows his way around big matches and bigger moments.
12:30pm
Chris Davies vs <2> Sam Griffith
Davies — Welsh international and part of the tournament’s most represented family —
faces second seed Griffith.
Experience meets expectation.
Saturday – Semi Finals (6:30pm)
Four remain.
By now the rankings feel lighter.
The legs feel heavier.
And someone has already taken a scalp.
Sunday – Final (4:30pm)
Late afternoon.
One court.
One Grade B champion.
In this bracket, there are no easy sides.
Only survivors.
Grade C — The Middleweight War
Grade C has no patience.
Former finalists.
Defending champion.
Welsh internationals.
OLIVER coaches.
And absolutely no easy half of the draw.
This is the grade where reputations wobble.
Saturday – First Round (12:00pm)
Frankie Pill vs Paul Hemmings
Midday. No easing in.
Win this and the top seed is waiting.
<5> Ben Griffith vs Andrew Kettlewell
Griffith carries the number.
Kettlewell carries international experience.
One of those matters more on Saturday.
Mason Phillpott vs <6> Aled Lloyd Jones
Aled finished 4th last year.
Phillpott would quite like to shorten that résumé.
Will Gray vs Lee Sinclair
No seed beside either name.
Which usually means danger.
Saturday – Quarter Finals (5:30pm)
<1> Ben Lauder vs Pill/Hemmings
Top seed Lauder.
Runner-up last year.
He’s back — and he hasn’t forgotten Sunday.
Griffith/Kettlewell vs <4> Connor Flinn
Flinn returns to North Wales — Anglesey-raised, Bangor Uni alumnus.
Home courts. Home crowd. No hiding.
Saturday – Evening Quarter Finals
6:00pm
<3> Samuel Morris vs Phillpott/Aled
OLIVER coach Morris waits in the lower half.
Calm. Calculated. Not here for small talk.
Gray/Sinclair vs <2> Tomos Gashe
Gashe.
Defending champion.
The man everyone has to go through if they want the title.
Sunday – Semi Finals (10:30am)
By now it’s real.
Lauder chasing redemption.
Gashe defending.
Morris stalking.
Flinn back on home soil.
Four remain.
Two advance.
Sunday – Final (4:00pm)
One court.
One Grade C champion.
And in this bracket…
you’ll have earned it.
Grade D — Family Affairs
Grade D doesn’t just have a draw.
It has a surname theme.
Lauders.
Barnards.
Welsh internationals.
And at least one household that might need separate cars home.
Saturday – Quarter Finals
9:30am
<1> Helen Barnard vs Dylan Griffiths
Top seed Helen Barnard — Welsh Masters Champion and international — opens the morning.
Experience, composure, and a number beside her name.
Griffiths gets first attempt at unsettling that.
10:00am
John Hamilton vs <3> Erin Lauder
Erin Lauder, third seed and Welsh international, steps in after finishing second last year and moving up a grade.
Hamilton stands between her and another deep Sunday run.
11:00am
<4> Iwan Barker-Jones vs Conal Duffy
Fourth seed Barker-Jones meets Duffy in the latest start of the section.
No early excuses here.
10:00am
David Barnard vs <2> Leon Lauder
Leon Lauder — last year’s grade winner, now moving up — faces David Barnard.
Leon’s family are everywhere this weekend.
So are the expectations.
Saturday – Semi Finals (5:00pm)
Four remain.
A Lauder could meet a Barnard.
A champion could meet a challenger.
And the family WhatsApp groups will be active.
Sunday – Final (3:30pm)
One court.
One Grade D champion.
In this bracket, it’s not just about winning.
It’s about who gets to mention it at Sunday dinner.
And potentially one family member who gets to boast that they won their Grade.
Grade E — The Wigan Invasion
Grade E hasn’t arrived quietly.
It’s arrived from Wigan.
Four players from the same club.
Led by their man at the top — Anthony Hampson.
And they haven’t travelled to admire Eryri.
They’ve travelled to collect something.
Saturday – Quarter Finals (11:30am)
<1> David Jones vs Andrew Winnard
Top seed David Jones opens the grade.
Winnard stands in the way — and knows that if you’re going to shake a draw, you do it early.
Phil Barker vs <3> Ben Schofield
Third seed Schofield carries the number.
Barker carries experience.
No friendly handshakes here.
<4> Steve Greenhalgh vs Cormac Lovely
Greenhalgh — one of the Wigan quartet — meets Cormac Lovely, OLIVER sponsored junior.
Youth versus structure.
Ambition versus system.
Ryan French vs <2> Anthony Hampson
Second seed Hampson.
Leader of Wigan Squash Club.
Last year they brought three.
This year they’ve brought fourteen across the tournament — four in this grade alone.
French gets first crack at the general.
Saturday – Semi Finals (5:30pm)
If the draw behaves, Wigan could start to take control.
If it doesn’t…
North Wales gets noisy.
Sunday – Final (3:00pm)
One court.
One Grade E champion.
Either the invasion succeeds…
or someone defends home soil.
Grade E isn’t neutral territory.
It’s contested ground.
Grade F — Fathers, Sons & Llanrwst
Grade F doesn’t just have a draw.
It has family ties.
And a postcode rivalry.
Two from Llanrwst.
A father and son in the same Grade.
And another father elsewhere in the building with something to say about it.
Saturday – Quarter Finals
11:00am
<1> Gareth Heyes vs Adam Topping
Top seed Gareth Heyes leads the section —
with son Owen already competing in Grade B.
The Heyes household is working overtime this weekend.
9:30am
Thomas Selway vs <4> Lee Jones
Lee Jones represents Llanrwst —
one of two from the club in this grade.
Thomas Selway steps in knowing his father, <2> David Selway, is waiting in the opposite half.
Win a couple… and Sunday lunch gets complicated.
9:30am
<3> Dylan Thomas vs Bryan Gardner
Bryan Gardner — the second Llanrwst man — meets third seed Dylan Thomas, Who's Dad and Brother are also competing
Club pride on one side.
Family pride on the other.
10:00am
Osian Larson vs <2> David Selway
Second seed David Selway anchors the bottom half.
If both Selways win, the grade starts turning into a family meeting.
Saturday – Semi Finals (4:00pm)
Four remain.
Could be Heyes.
Could be Llanrwst.
Could be father and son.
The draw doesn’t care which story it tells.
Sunday – Final (12:30pm)
One court.
One name.
Grade F isn’t loud.
It’s layered.
Grade G — No Quiet Corners
Grade G doesn’t come with a headline.
It comes with eight players who all think they should be in the final.
No family themes.
No club takeover.
Just straight knockout pressure.
Saturday – Quarter Finals
11:00am
<1> Tyler Price vs Jonny Coombes
Top seed Tyler Price opens against Coombes.
Early slot, clear target — if you’re going to test the number one, you do it before lunch.
10:00am
John Waller vs <4> Bryan Ibbotson
Fourth seed Bryan Ibbotson steps in against Waller.
No soft landings here — straight into seeded territory.
10:30am
<3> Leigh Ryder vs Phil Mullen
Third seed Ryder meets Mullen in a matchup that feels like it could stretch long.
Both will know this is the key to the top half.
10:30am
Rob Jepson vs <2> Phil Finn
Second seed Phil Finn anchors the bottom half.
Jepson gets the chance to shake it up early.
Saturday – Semi Finals (4:30pm)
Four remain.
By now, one seed will likely be gone.
Maybe two.
Grade G has that habit.
Sunday – Final (12:00pm)
Midday.
One court.
One Grade G champion.
Nothing flashy.
Just earned.
Grade H — Early Alarms
Grade H starts before excuses do.
9:00am matches.
10:00am pressure.
And by 3:00pm, only four left standing.
Saturday – Quarter Finals
10:00am
<1> Lindsey Silvester vs Graham Parfoot
Top seed Lindsey Silvester opens against Parfoot.
Straight into it. No easing in.
10:30am
Ben Jackson vs <3> Louis McQuillan
Third seed McQuillan meets Jackson in a match that could quietly tilt the top half before lunch.
9:00am
<4> James Bowlas vs David Andrew Jones
Earliest slot of the section.
Bowlas carries the number four.
Jones carries the chance to rewrite it.
10:30am
Janet Coleman vs <2> Ross Atherton
Second seed Atherton anchors the bottom half.
Coleman steps in knowing 10:30am is prime time for surprises.
Saturday – Semi Finals (3:00pm)
Four remain.
The early starts have done their work.
Now it’s about composure.
Sunday – Final (1:00pm)
One court.
One winner.
Grade H doesn’t shout.
It just gets on with it.
Grade I — Generations
This one feels like a family photo…
if the family photo involved lung capacity and competitive grudges.
Youth. Experience.
And at least one player who’s been doing this since before some of the draw were born.
Saturday – Quarter Finals (2:00pm)
<1> Maxen Thomas vs Duncan Jones
Top seed Maxen Thomas — stronger, sharper, and building on last year’s seventh-place finish —
opens against Duncan Jones.
Duncan’s been playing since 1958.
Which means he’s forgotten more squash than most people know.
Welsh international. Veteran. Still dangerous.
Jack Hipkiss-Hughes vs <4> James Noon
Jack meets fourth seed James Noon in a match that feels like it could swing fast.
Noon carries the seeding. Jack carries opportunity.
<3> Harry Hitch vs Chris Pill
Harry Hitch enters as third seed.
Chris Pill — father to Frankie in Grade C — brings the family thread into yet another draw.
Graham Peers vs <2> Gary Selway
Second seed Gary Selway steps in against Graham Peers.
Gary already has family representation across the weekend —
this is his turn to add to it.
Sunday – Semi Finals (10:00am)
Four left.
By now the generations have clashed.
Only two continue the story.
Sunday – Final (2:30pm)
One court.
One winner.
Grade I isn’t just about ranking.
It’s about eras meeting in the middle… and seeing who’s still standing.
with a pension plan.
Grade J — Small Rackets, Big Futures
This is where it starts.
Not the noise.
Not the trophies.
The story.
Grade J is the opening chapter — and don’t be fooled by the size of the grips. These players aren’t here to clap politely and collect certificates. They’re here to learn how tournament squash feels.
And once you’ve felt that… you’re hooked for life.
Top seed Alex Lovell-Smith opens with a bye and waits to see who survives the first wave.
Saturday – First Round (9:00am)
Dan Gittens vs David Jones
Early doors. Fresh legs. First ever tournament nerves.
Alex Ingram vs Nathan Chi
Two names. One first handshake. One first “good luck.” It always starts here.
Varun Kapoor vs Aiden Riley
Another pair early into their competitive squash journey — and discovering very quickly that scoring out loud is harder than it looks.
11:00am
Liam Burke vs Maebh Lovely
Maebh arrives as an OLIVER junior and the current British U9 Champion.
No pressure… just a national title and a building full of adults watching.
Her brother Cormac is playing elsewhere this weekend.
Family bragging rights are very much in play.
2:30pm – Seeds Enter
<1> Alex Lovell-Smith steps in.
<4> Ryan Phillips joins the draw.
<3> Jamie Wallace waits in the lower half.
<2> Lucas Jackson — yes, that Lucas “Gonzalez” Jackson — anchors the bottom section.
Now it starts to feel like a tournament.
Semi Finals – Sunday 9:30am
By this point, something important will have happened:
Someone will have won their first ever competitive match.
Someone will have learned how to reset after losing one.
Someone will be walking taller.
Final – Sunday 2:00pm
One court.
One winner.
And a photo that will probably sit on a bedroom wall for years.
Grade J isn’t about now.
It’s about what’s coming next.
Sunday – Final (1:30pm)
One court.
One winner.
Grade J isn’t about patience.
It’s about timing…
and who still has legs left to use it.
Grade K — First Steps & Red Dot Legends
Grade K doesn’t arrive with ranking points.
It arrives with bravery.
Every player in this draw is playing their first ever tournament.
Some have only been playing a few months.
All of them are about to discover what “matchplay” actually feels like.
Top seed Rhian Jones leads the bracket —
the youngest qualified referee in Wales,
who will be officiating matches this weekend…
and then stepping on court herself.
Her dad Andrew Jones is also in the tournament.
Which means somewhere in Bangor,
a family WhatsApp group is already arguing about warm-ups.
This grade will be played with a red dot ball,
with two serves each and a server change every two serves,
no matter who wins the point —
because this draw is about learning the game properly,
not surviving it.
And the others across the bracket:
Josh Owen (8 years old)
The youngest warrior in the field.
Small racket. Big moment.
Enlli Thorn (10) and Isla Thorn (12)
Sisters in the same draw —
which guarantees polite handshakes and absolute chaos at home.
Ethan Robinson and Faith Robinson
Brother and sister.
Built-in rivalry. Built-in post-match analysis in the car.
Connor Sillence and Connie Whitefield
Boyfriend and girlfriend.
The only matchup where “good luck” might mean something different.
Saturday – First Round (1:30pm)
<1> Rhian Jones vs Enlli Thorn
Top seed meets one of the Thorn sisters in a match full of firsts.
Ethan Robinson vs Connor Sillence
Sibling pride meets relationship pressure.
No one wins the group chat tonight.
Connie Whitefield vs Josh Owen
Josh steps into tournament squash at just eight years old.
Connie arrives knowing everyone will be watching.
Isla Thorn vs <2> Faith Robinson
Second seed Faith opens against the other Thorn sister.
Someone is going to learn a lot very quickly.
Sunday – Semi Finals (9:00am)
Four players remain.
By now they will have:
• Played their first tournament match
• Heard “play on”
• Missed at least one serve
• Won at least one rally
• Learned that squash feels different when people are watching
And still come back for more.
Sunday – Final (1:00pm)
One court.
One winner.
And a group of players who will never be “new” again.
Because once you’ve played a tournament,
you don’t go back to just training.
You start planning the next one.
Grade K isn’t about trophies.
It’s about beginnings.
And somewhere in this draw…
is a future Grade A winner