This came on the opening day of pairs first round action at Potters Leisure Resort in Hopton-on-Sea, Norfolk, after the completion of the qualification stage which started yesterday.

Brown and Whyers continued the good form they had shown when successfully navigating qualifying to beat Connor Cinato and Paul Maynard in two straight sets.

With Maynard struggling to find his line on the green, the pressure was too much for Cinato as the duo lost 11-2, 7-1.

The victors then faced Anglo-Welsh combination Les Gillett and Jason Greenslade for a place in the quarter-finals.

Gillett and Greenslade, both ranked in the world's top 16, romped through the first set 8-1 before Brown and Whyers took the second 8-5.

In a nip and tuck finale, it was the higher ranked pair who won 2-1.

Ireland's John McCullough and Roy Battersby were among other first round winners after beating Israel's Mali Reuven and Kobi Hadar 7-4, 17-1.

Singles action also began today with a 13-3, 3-6 win for Ireland's Andrew Kyle against South African opponent Roy Garden.

The open pairs final will be held on January 23, a day before the mixed pairs final.

On January 26, the ladies final will be played and the competition will be wrapped up three days later with the open singles final.