Joel Makin swept into the second round of the Manchester Open as he made a winning return to the court.

In his first game for six months due to the COVID-19 disruption, Makin saw off England’s Tom Richards 3-0 in 50 minutes.

The Haverfordwest-born player – seeded eight for the tournament and 10 in the world – triumphed 11-8, 11-6, 11-4 against the world No 34.

The PSA World Tour is making its long awaited return for the silver event after the professional game was suspended by the crisis caused by the virus.

The tournament, originally scheduled for May 2020, is behind closed doors and is following strict protocols.

Makin will face Scotland’s No 15 seed Greg Lobban on Friday evening.