Grampian Regional Masters and Newlands Senior Gold up next
A busy February continues with a double header on the 19th and 20th of February, the much anticipated Grampian Regional Masters at the Aberdeen Squash and Racketball Club and the Newlands Senior Gold at the Newlands Lawn Tennis and Squash Club in Glasgow.
The Grampian Regional Masters hosts over 50 men and women competing across nine categories (Over 35 to Over 75). Playing out of the Watsonians Squash Club, Paul Macari from Edinburgh will be one of the top seeds to watch out for. Paul had a quiet 2021 having competed at a number of key events in 2020, including the Scottish Masters National Championships, the SKN Central Scotland Regional Masters and the East of Scotland Regional Masters Over 50, where he reached the semi-finals.
Paul said: “I’m looking forward to playing all my matches injury free and having an enjoyable weekend in Aberdeen.
It’s been a tough time as I’ve only played once in the last two years due to injury, so it’s hard to tell where my form is. But right now I’m feeling fitter than I was when I was 40.
I have tried to get on court more since the end of restrictions, playing various club members up to three times a week.
I’m looking forward to the nationals in Edinburgh and of course the Watsonian Club championship!”
In the women’s draw, Julia Horsburgh aged 55 from Perth, will be competing in the Women’s Over 50 draw. This is the first time Julia has competed at The Grampian Regional Masters. Julia is a member of the Kinross Squash Club and has some notable wins over the years, including winning the Women’s Over 50 category at the Scottish Regional Masters in 2018.
For more information about the Grampian Regional Masters, including draws and results, please visit here.
The Newlands Senior Gold is back with aplomb this year after a two-year hiatus. The 2019 title was won by Douglas Kempsell, the 30-year-old from Edinburgh, who beat Stuart George in a tightly contested final. This year sees top seeds Fergus Richards from Elgin and Alasdair Prott from Inverness competing in the men’s draw, while Catherine Holland and the two high flying juniors Robyn McAlpine and Anna Halliday, are the ones to watch in the women’s draw.
Anna Halliday recently won the U19 category at the Junior Gold Tournament at the Aberdeen Squash and Racketball Club, beating her rival Robyn McAlpine in the final. Anna has had a stellar career so far, with highlights including runner up at the U-15 Scottish Junior Championships and Irish Open and a hard fought third place at the Welsh Junior Open, while Robyn McAlpine is a former U13 Scottish Champion, reaching the quarter finals at the British Junior U17 Nationals this month.
Nine times Scottish Junior Champion Alasdair Prott aged 21 from Inverness, won his first PSA Closed Satellite Title at the 305 Squash Open in July, beating England’s Finnlay Withington in the final. This follows on from his heroic victory against England’s Conor Sheen, ranked 77 places ahead of Alasdair, as a wildcard in the first round if the Springfield Scottish Squash Open, as well as two quarter final places to finish off the 2021 season. This is Alasdair’s second season on the senior tour.
Alasdair said: “The last time I played at the Newlands Senior Gold was two years ago, but I had to withdraw due to illness. I’ve had a good few weeks training with no competitions since Christmas, so hoping to implement what I’ve been working on in a competitive environment.
I feel like I’m playing well in the run up to this event with no real challenges or niggles along the way. I’m looking forward to it.”
Despite a tough season in 2021, Fergus Richards was selected to play for Scotland at the World Team Championships and currently sits at 173 on the PSA World ranking (as of 15/02/22). Fergus is the top seed going into the Newlands Gold. Fergus has won several junior Scottish titles and represented Scotland in over 50 matches at junior age groups.
He is currently transferring his success at junior age group level to the senior stage, for Scotland as well as on the PSA World Tour. Fergus is also a member of the Scottish Squash National Academy and the sportscotland Scottish Institute of Sport based at Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh.
Fergus said: “I’m really hoping I can win this event, though it’ll be tough. The lead up hasn’t been ideal as I had Covid in the middle of January. Since then, I ‘ve been able to train and haven’t had any real problems. My prep has been heavily focused on getting back up to fitness and speed. I’ve got to give myself the best chance by being fit believing I can do it.
My most recent tournaments were in Germany and Spain, where I played some good squash and lost out in the round of 16 to the winner in Spain and the runner up in Germany.
Looking ahead, hopefully I’ll get selected for World Doubles, European Teams and Commonwealth Games.”
For more information about the Newlands Senior Gold, including draws and results, please visit here
