AISLING Reilly flew out to the United States this week with one purpose in mind.
That is to fill in a void in her CV but she knows that the task is not an easy one, as the end-of-the-season Players’ Championship draw is packed with female talent, including her rival Catriona Casey who beat her in a tie-breaker last year for the title.
The men’s and women’s championship titles are on the line in Portland, Oregon and while Reilly has a motivating factor driving her on, Paul Brady has also a major disappointment to address.
He had to pull out of the Players’ Championship in Salt Lake City last season because of injury, before the opening round.
In the women’s draw there is a slight change of positions. Normally, Reilly and Casey are at opposite ends but not this time. Casey is the number one seed with New Yorker Danielle Daskalakis in the bottom half of the draw in second slot.
Reilly is in the number three position, as top of the bottom half of the draw. She must play in the Round of 16 while Casey and Daskalakis get byes into the quarter-finals.
However, the extra match is not likely to bother the reigning world champion from Belfast, even though there is always the danger of an upset.
Reilly’s first opponent is Rachel Steinberg, who has no attachment, and the winner of that battle will probably meet all-action Californian Tracy Davis. Even though Canadian Jessica Gawley is also in the bottom half, it looks likely that Reilly and Daskalakis will clash in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, championship holder Casey awaits today’s outcome between Julie Jordan (Alaska) and Lara Schoener (Washington) before knowing who her first challenger will be tomorrow in the quarters.
Also in the top half of the draw is Galway girl Ciana Ní Churraoin who is positioned at number four and favourite to meet Casey in the semis.
After winning the Irish Nationals’ title, at Cólaiste Feirste last Sunday, Casey said: “It is very possible that Aisling and I will meet in Portland next Sunday.”
That looks extremely likely, indeed.
Brady has won 14 of the 17 events he has played in the WPH R48Pro Tour and he is now looking for his second Players’ Championship title, after the disappointment of having to pull out with injury last year. Sean Lenning (Washington) cashed in on Brady’s absence by winning the title but the Cavan world champion is still seeded number one with Lenning second seed.
Both await the outcome of today’s qualifiers for this evening’s round of 16. Corkonion Killian Carroll is in the same position.
Among the qualifiers are Gavin Buggy (Wexford) and Stephen Cooney (Mayo), who could possibly clash with holder Lenning this evening. Buggy is in the sixth qualifier group and should he make it through to the championship proper he will play Armando Ortiz, the man who has shocked Brady twice.
