After taking the opening game, Swartz slipped behind as the experienced Khan – ranked more than a hundred places higher - moved 2/1 ahead.  But the youngster fought back to claim her historic 9-3, 3-9, 2-9, 9-3, 9-1 win in 49 minutes.

England Lead Qualifying Bid In Belfast World Open

Players from 12 nations will fight it out for the eight qualifying places in the main draw of the Women's World Open Squash Championship in Belfast – with England leading the race with four contenders after the first qualifying round at the Belfast Boat Club.

The world's most prestigious squash event – and the biggest ever to be staged in Northern Ireland – is being held in Belfast this week, with action from the last sixteen onwards staged on a state-of-the-art four glass-walled court in the auditorium of the city's world-renowned Ulster Hall.

Kerri Shields, Northern Ireland 's sole representative in the qualifying event, crashed out to England 's Sarah Kippax in the afternoon session.  Shields, runner-up in the Miss Northern Ireland competition in 2001, hails from Banbridge – home of the event's biggest local star, Madeline Perry, the world No7. 

"It's the first time I've ever played at this level – Sarah made only two errors throughout the game, and I made loads," said 24-year-old Shields after her 9-0, 9-1, 9-1 defeat.

A civil engineering graduate, Shields is now based in London – where she has rediscovered her love for the game.  "Now that I have settled into my new job, and discovered that there are so many people to play in London , I have decided to take my squash a bit more seriously.

"It was disappointing to lose today, but I now know what I need to do to improve, and I'm planning to play a few more events in the future," said Shields, who fondly remembers her junior squash days in Banbridge where she played with Madeline Perry's younger sisters Melissa and Sarah.

"It's excellent that the biggest squash event in the world is being staged here in Belfast ," added Shields.

Sarah Kippax, 23, from Chester, will meet compatriot Rebecca Botwright in Tuesday's qualifying finals – for a place in the main draw of the $112,500 event, the richest-ever event on the women's tour.

Botwright, the Manchester-based 24-year-old whose older sister Vicky Botwright is the event's fifth seed, needed 51 minutes to overcome Yorkshire's Lauren Siddall 9-7, 4-9, 9-1, 9-2.

Essex's Lauren Briggs defeated Hong Kong 's Elise Ng 9-2, 10-8, 9-2 in 40 minutes to earn a place in the qualifying finals.  The 27-year-old from Chingford in east London, who coaches at the RAC Club in London's Pall Mall, will now face Runa Reta, the Canadian who ended the qualifying hopes of England's Jenna Gates in a 9-7, 9-5, 9-6 defeat.

England's Suzie Pierrepont, the eighth highest-ranked player in the qualifying draw, hobbled out of the event after sustaining a recurrence of a heel injury against Margriet Huisman.  The Dutch player claimed a 9-6, 4-9, 9-10, 4-5 victory and will now face Guyana 's sole competitor Nicolette Fernandes for a place in the main draw.

Perry Pumped Up For Belfast Worlds

The 29-year-old world No7 from Banbridge insists she owes a debt of gratitude to a host of people in Northern Ireland who have helped her along the way.

The world's most prestigious squash event – and the biggest ever to be staged in Northern Ireland - will be held in Belfast from 20-26 November, with action from the last sixteen onwards staged on a state-of-the-art four glass-walled court in the auditorium of the Ulster Hall.

It was the late Sid Moore who got the ball rolling when Madeline took up squash at the age of 11.

Sadly he's no longer with us but there will be plenty of familiar faces in the crowd at the Boat Club and the Ulster Hall which are the venues for the showpiece.

"People like Derek Brown and Dorothy Armstrong have always supported me to the hilt," she explained.  "And I'm also very grateful to my mum and dad Audrey and Colin as well as the Sports Council for Northern Ireland who have helped me financially through Lottery Funding.  So it will be good to see them and hopefully I won't let them down."

Madeline is seldom at home these days as she is based in Halifax in North Yorkshire when she's not on the pro squash tour.  She lives in a modest terraced house a short distance from the Queen's Sports Club where she plays and trains.

Unlike Nicol David, the world number one and top seed in Belfast who is a megastar back home in Malaysia, Madeline can walk down the streets of her adopted home unrecognised.  She enjoys life in England after moving there almost a decade ago through sporting necessity.

After 13 years as Ulster number one, competition - or rather the lack of it - in the north was the reason for the move to England.

"Obviously there's a much bigger player base in England and the club squash is of a high standard with quite a few players in the world top 100 to pit your wits against.  Playing good players, male and female improves your own game," Madeline explains.

"The people in Halifax are very friendly and it's really like a 'home from home' as far as I'm concerned.  It’s getting a bit of a reputation for being a hotbed for squash and there are more and more good players coming to the area."

She became Ulster number one at the age of 16 but in those days education came first and she attended Queen’s University where she graduated with an Honours Degree in Geography.

With her qualification behind her, Madeline then dipped her toe in the world of professional squash and she’s been there ever since, with three Commonwealth Games appearances under her belt and a best ever global ranking of six a few months ago.

“It was a question of giving it a go after I left Queen’s and seeing if it worked out - and fortunately I’ve made more progress than I had anticipated.  I certainly broke into the top 10 sooner than I had expected,” she revealed.

Madeline admits the last few months of the build up to the World Open backyard haven’t been ideal. On Wednesday (22 November) she will open her campaign with a first round tie with fellow-Irishwoman Aisling Blake from Sligo.

“To be honest, it’s been a bit disjointed and I was ill with salmonella for three weeks but I am back in shape now and ready for the challenge," continued the seven-times Irish National champion.

“It’s a shame that the draw paired Aisling and me together as one Irish player will be automatically knocked out.  She’s also a good friend of mine and we’ve played together on Irish teams for years."

Madeline is seeded to reach the quarter finals and if she does so it’s likely she’ll meet second-ranked Dutchwoman Vanessa Atkinson as the tournament - which is backed by the NI Events Company, the Sports Council and Belfast City Council - moves to a purpose-built glass-backed court at the Ulster Hall from the Boat Club from the second round onwards.

The championship will get underway at the Belfast Boat Club on Monday 20 November before moving to the city's historic Ulster Hall from the second round onwards, leading to the final on Sunday 26 November