The 2020 Edinburgh squash Open took place at Edinburgh Sports Club over the last few days. Entrants included former World Champion Karim Abdel Gawad (Egypt), former World Championship Runner up Paul Coll from NZ and amongst other Scotlands top 3 players Gregg Lobban, Alan Clyne and Rory Stewart.
This event also included Category Draws as Galashiels Squash Club were represented by Tony Elliot, Jordan Reid, Graeme Gillie and Del Sharratt.
The Main Even Final Seen Scotland No. 1 Gregg Lobban vs Karim Abdel Gawad (Egy). Lobban had took the scalps of Sean Conroy (Ire) 3-0 as well as the higher Ranking Paul Coll in the Quarter Finals 3-2 and 5-time Edinburgh Open winner Englands Daryl Selby by 3-2. Gawad had just as tough a run beating Abhey Singh (Ind) 3-1, Declan James (Eng) 3-2 and was pushed all the way in the semis by Wales Joel Makin 3-2.
Gawad took the final 3-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-6), Gawad was equal to everything Lobban threw at him and demonstrated to the Crowd why he is the World No.5 and a former World Champion.
Gregg Lobban Said after the match “That was amazing squash by Karim, he found his best form tonight and unfortunately I was on the receiving end. I have had some great matches this week; indeed the Best result of my career beating Paul Coll, I’m feeling good about my squash just now and am at a career high world ranking of 29, hopefully this sets me up for some great tournaments in the remainder of the season.
in The D Category, Tony Elliot got to the semi-finals; on his was he conquered Michael Brown (Colinton Castle) and Matthew Hunter (The Dean). Elliot was stopped in the Semis by Tom Naylor (Elgin). Elliot then played the 3rd/4th play off against Grange Squash Club’s Finley Halton. The pair had recently met in a league 5 encounter when Elliot triumphed 3-0; but Tony was a bit apprehensive this time as Halton has improved no end since then. But Tony’s game all clicked into place at the same time and he won 15-7, 15-2, 15-5.
In the F Category Sharratt and Reid both lost in the first round 3-1 against Steve Cubbins and Charlie Pringle respectively, this dropped the pair into the Plate tournament where Sharratt lost a 5-game thriller to Gabor Nagy, but Reid progressed to the Plate Tournament Final beating Nagy 3-0. Graeme Gillie lost out in the Quarter Final 3-1 to Michael Linsley (Northern).
CATEGORY D Results:
1ST Rnd:
Charles Adams (The Dean) w/o v Jonathan Tait (Edin Sports Club).
Chris Dixon (Tyne) 0-3 Michael Buccholz (Edin Univ)
John Armstrong (Newbiggin) 3-2 Michael Clarkson (The Dean)
Finlay Halton (The Grange) 3-2 Kriss Bradshaw (Elgin)
Guy Eniona (Eldon Squash) 1-3 Tom Naylor (Elgin)
Andrew Nelson (SSRC Glasgow) 3-0 Neil Porter (Watsonians)
Matthew Hunter (The Dean) 3-2 Louis Kingdom (Edin Sports Club)
Tony Elliot (Gala Squash Club) 3-0 Michael Brown (Colinton castle)
QUARTER FNALS:
J Tait 2-3 M Buccholz,
J Armstrong 2-3 F Halton
T Naylor 3-1 A Nelson,
M Hunter 0-3 T Elliot
SEMIS
M Buccholz 3-1 F Halton
T Naylor 3-1 T Elliot
FINAL
M Buccholz3-1 Naylor
3rd/4th
T Elliot 3-0 F Halton.
CATEGORY F RESULTS:
1ST Rnd:
Steve Cubbins (Unattached) 3-1 Del Sharratt (Gala Squash Club)
Gabor Nagy (The Dean) 0-3 Mark Lockhart (Oban Squash Club)
Michael Linsley (Northern) 3-0 Rhiannon Griffiths (Edin Sports Club)
Alfredo Iacovone (The Grange) 0-3 Graeme Gillie (Gala Squash Club)
Robbie Todd (The Deam) 3-1 Alex Yovanovitch (Wishaw Sports Club)
Craig Bourner (Lockerbie) 3-1 Clive Lucas (Northern)
Andrew Smith (Northern) 3-1 Stewart Simpson (Abercorn)
Charles Pringle (The Dean) 3-1 Jordan Reid (Gala squash Club)
QUARTERS:
S Cubbins 1-3 M Lockhart
M Linsley 3-1 G Gillie
R Todd 3-2 C Bourner
A Smith 3-2 C Pringle
SEMIS:
M Lockhart 3-1 M Linsley
R Todd 3-1 A Smith
FINAL:
M Lockhart 3-0 R Todd
PLATE TOURNIE:
D Sharratt 2-3 G Nagy,
R Griffiths w/o v A Iacovone
A Yovanovitch 3-1 C Lucas
S Simpson 1-3 J Reid
SEMIS
G Nagy 3-0 R Griffiths
A Yovanovitch 0-3 J Reid
FINAL
G Nagy 0-3 J Reid