Squash - North Kessock athlete becomes Scottish Champion for fifth time after winning title in Inverness
GREG Lobban says winning the Scottish Squash Championship at the club where his career started made his title win extra special.
The 32-year-old claimed the title for the fifth time in his career at Inverness Tennis and Squash Club on Sunday.
The North Kessock athlete saw off a determined Rory Stewart from Perth in the final as he took the title in four games 11-7, 11-7, 6-11,11-8 in 64 minutes.
It is the fourth year running the former Fortrose Academy pupil has become Scottish champion, winning his first national title in 2013.
He said to win the title in Inverness was something which meant a lot to him.
He said: “This is the court that I grew up playing on and I had a lot of friends and family in the crowd today.
“I was really excited when I heard it was going to be in Inverness and it was special to have it on home soil.”
Lobban had a straightforward first two rounds when he defeated Iain Maltman and Andrew Glen both 3-0.
In the semi final, he did lose his first game to Rory Richmond 4-11, before stamping his authority to win the next three games. 11-9, 11-8, 11-7.
He then went on to clinch the title with a 3-1 win over Scotland teammate Stewart on Sunday and was happy overall with how he performed.
“It has been a tough schedule over the last few months between competing at the European Team Championships and in Chicago for the World Championships. It has been a lot of travel and the week has been long. But I have had a lot of family and relaxation time and I felt fresh and ready to go.
“I knew that I had a difficult match on my hands and that is what I got.”
Lobban first took up squash at Inverness Tennis and Squash Club when he had barely started secondary school. Since then, he has gone on to achieve major success at international level and has reached as high as 16 in the world rankings.
His biggest achievements include winning gold in the doubles with Alan Clyne at the World Championships in 2016 along with a Commonwealth Games bronze medal with Stewart in the doubles event in 2022.
He has competed at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, 2018 and 2022 and has been hugely critical over the decision not to include squash at the games in Glasgow next year.
He says it was great to play at the Scottish Championship in Inverness at the club which started his career off.
He said: “I was a late starter and didn’t play squash until I was either 12 or 13 years old. I last played here when I was 17 before I moved to Edinburgh and I have not played a competitive match here in a long time.”
Lobban is reaching the end of the 2024/25 season and heads to Dublin this week to play in the Irish Open followed by the British Open in Birmingham at the end of the month.
He says he would like to try and end the year matching his highest ever world ranking.
He said: “I reached my highest world ranking of 16 last year, I would be chuffed to bits if I could do that again and stay in the top-20.
If that doesn’t happen, I wouldn’t be too bothered. If someone told me that I would get into the top 20, I would be pretty stoked about it.”
