Rösner became the first-ever German player to win a major PSA World Tour event when he defeated Egypt’s Tarek Momen to lift the trophy last year and the 31-year-old picked up where he left off with an 11-4, 11-8, 11-9 victory over his opponent today.

"I think he (Cuskelly) is a really dangerous player and we have never played before in a PSA match," Rösner said.

"I didn’t really know what to expect.

"I went off and played really well at the beginning and had a good start.

"He then kind of came back at me but I was really pleased with my performance.

"It was a good effort.

"There is a lot of pressure on your shoulders coming back as a defending champion, but I didn’t want to think about that too much.

"I just wanted to enter the tournament and play the best I can really.

"[It was] exactly the same as last year - I think I went in without any expectations."

Awaiting Rösner in the next round is Hong Kong’s Max Lee, who beat Mexico’s Cesar Salazar 8-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-2.

They will be joined in the last-16 by world number one Mohamed Elshorbagy, who overcame Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller.

The Egyptian suffered a shock loss to Cuskelly in the second round of last year’s event, but the two-time PSA Tournament of Champions winner was unstoppable against Mueller as he powered to an 11-3, 12-10, 11-4 triumph.

Egypt’s Zahed Salem lies in wait for Elshorbagy in round three after the world number 25 beat Malaysia's Eain Yow Ng 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-8.

Day two almost saw a big upset as Welshman Joel Makin went two games up against world number five Karim Abdel Gawad of Egypt, only to see an ankle injury cruelly end his chances of victory.

A series of fine displays this season have seen Makin climb from number 38 in the world to number 23 over the past five months and he dominated the in-form Gawad to go two games ahead and 4-3 up in the third.

But he rolled his ankle after contact with Gawad mid-way through a rally and he was unable to continue.

Gawad subsequently moves through to the third round, where he will play compatriot Fares Dessouky, an 11-8, 5-11, 11-6, 11-6 winner over France’s Mathieu Castagnet.

Elsewhere, Peru’s Diego Elias got the better of Egypt’s Marwan Elshorbagy, the world number eight, by a score of 11-8, 11-6, 0-11, 12-10 to book his place in round two.

Next up for Elias is a meeting with Australia’s Cameron Pilley, who progressed courtesy of an 11-3, 11-7, 11-5 win against England’s Tom Richards.

The men’s second round is due to continue tomorrow

The women’s tournament is also scheduled to get under way tomorrow, with fixtures spread between the Harvard Club of New York City, New York Athletic Club and the Princeton Club of New York.