The mixed doubles and women’s doubles events of squash at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have reached quarter-final stage, while the men’s event is into the second round.

There’s plenty of action to look forward to today, as 16 matches featuring 64 athletes from 12 nations take place across two courts, with play from the show court being shown live around the world.

Play begins at 12:00 on the show court with a men’s match as England’s top seeds and reigning World Champions Declan James and James Willstrop enter the competition after receiving a bye in round one. They face Maltese duo Niall Engerer and Kijan Sultana, who were drawn against each other in the singles event but showed great team spirit in coming from behind to beat the Cayman Islands’ Julian Jervis and Cameron Stafford in the men’s doubles first round yesterday.

Malta have never progressed beyond this stage in any Commonwealth Games doubles competition and will have to record one of squash’s greatest shocks to overturn that record today.

The second team entered for the hosts, 3/4 seeds Daryl Selby and Adrian Waller, take on Malaysia’s 9/16 seeds Mohd Syafiq Kamal and Ong Sai Hung.

Elsewhere in the men’s draw, the clash between Malaysia’s 5/8 seeds Eain yow Ng and Ivan Yuen and the 9/16 seeded Chileshe brothers, Lwamba and Temwa, of New Zealand promises to be intriguing, while Scotland will be hoping to reach their seventh consecutive quarter-final with No.2 seeds Greg Lobban and Rory Stewart and 3/4 seed Alan Clyne and Douglas Kempsell all involved.

“As long as I win, I think we’ll still be married!” Greg joked yesterday.

World No.34 Lobban is also involved in a fascinating battle in the mixed doubles. Lobban, alongside teammate Lisa Aitken, will battle his wife Donna Lobban and her teammate Cameron Pilley for a place in the semi-finals.

While Donna Lobban and her cousin Pilley are the reigning Commonwealth Games champions, Greg Lobban and Aitken will be confident in their partnership after winning a bronze medal at the 2022 WSF World Doubles Championships in Glasgow.

Elsewhere in the mixed event, top seeds and 2018 silver medallists Dipika Pallikal Karthik and her brother-in-law Saurav Ghosal, the reigning World Champions, face Australia’s 9/16 seeds Rachael Grinham – who is competing at her sixth Games and won the event alongside David Palmer in 2014 – and Zac Alexander, who upset English 5/8 seeds Georgina Kennedy and Patrick Rooney yesterday.

For the home fans, there is an exciting all-British battle to look forward to. No.2 seeds Alison Waters – a silver medallist in 2014 – and Adrian Waller take on Wales’ Tesni Evans and this year’s singles silver medallist Joel Makin. Wales have never advanced beyond the mixed doubles quarter-finals, could today be the day to change that?

Alison Waters (right) strikes the ball as teammate Sarah-Jane Perry watches on.

Waters is involved in a second British showdown in the women’s quarter-finals, where she and singles bronze winner Sarah-Jane Perry, the No.2 seeds, take on Scotland’s 5/8 seeds Georgia Adderley and Lisa Aitken.

The hosts have a second entry in the women’s doubles, with singles gold medal winner Georgina Kennedy and teammate Lucy Turmel going up against the reigning champions and 3/4 seeds Joelle King and Amanda Landers-Murphy.

Four years ago, King and Landers-Murphy beat this year’s top seeds Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal Karthik 2-0 and the Indian duo continue their mission to recapture the title they won in 2014 when they play Malaysia’s 5/8 seeds Ainaa Amani and Chan Yiwen.

Completing the women’s quarter-final draw, Australia’s 3/4 seeds Rachael Grinham – a 2006 gold medallist – and Donna Lobban fave Malaysia’s 5/8 seeds Rachel Arnold and Aifa Azman.

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Mixed Doubles – Quarter-Final Draw

[1] Dipika Pallikal Karthik & Saurav Ghosal (IND) v [9/16] Rachael Grinham & Zac Alexander (AUS)

[3/4] Joelle King & Paul Coll (NZL) v [5/8] Georgia Adderley & Rory Stewart (SCO)

[3/4] Lisa Aitken & Greg Lobban (SCO) v [5/8] Donna Lobban & Cameron Pilley (AUS)

[2] Alison Waters & Adrian Waller (ENG) v [5/8] Tesni Evans & Joel Makin (WAL)

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Men’s Doubles – Round Two Draw

[1] Declan James & James Willstrop (ENG) v [9/16] Niall Engerer & Kijan Sultana (MLT)

[5/8] Rhys Dowling & Cameron Pilley (AUS) v [9/16] Ravindu Laksiri & Shamil Wakeel (SRI)

[5/8] Eain Yow Ng & Ivan Yuen (MAS) v [9/16] Lwamba Chileshe & Temwa Chileshe (NZL)

[3/4] Alan Clyne & Douglas Kempsell (SCO) v [9/16] Velavan Senthilkumar & Abhay Singh (IND)

[3/4] Daryl Selby & Adrian Waller (ENG) v [9/16] Mohd Syafiq Kamal & Ong Sai Hung (MAS)

[5/8] Peter Creed & Emyr Evans (WAL) v [9/16] David Baillargeon & Nick Sachvie (CAN)

[5/8] Zac Alexander & Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) v [9/16] Christopher Binnie & Julian Morrison (JAM)

[2] Greg Lobban & Rory Stewart (SCO) v [9/16] Tayyab Aslam & Nasir Iqbal (PAK)

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women’s Doubles – Quarter-Final Draw

[1] Joshna Chinappa & Dipika Pallikal Karthik (IND) v [5/8] Ainaa Amani & Chan Yiwen (MAS)

[3/4] Joelle King & Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) v [5/8] Georgina Kennedy & Lucy Turmel (ENG)

[3/4] Rachael Grinham & Donna Lobban (AUS) v [5/8] Rachel Arnold & Aifa Azman (MAS)

[2] Sarah-Jane Perry & Alison Waters (ENG) v [5/8] Georgia Adderley & Lisa Aitken (SCO)