WSF WORLD DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP – DAY 1 SESSION 1 TEAM SCOTLAND ROUND-UP

The first session of day one of the World Doubles Championship 2022 at the Scotstoun Leisure Centre in Glasgow got off to a promising start for Scotland.

The Scots teams had four matches on Court 1 during the first session, with lots of thrilling action to excite the watching crowds cheering on the host nation.

The day started with Georgia Adderley and Lisa Aitken taking on the English duo of Lucy Turmel and Georgina Kennedy.

The left right hand combination of Adderley and Aitken helped Scotland to settle in a tense first game, in which Adderley had to be bandaged up with a knock to her knee.

The Scottish duo were unlucky when the ball hit the crack of the door leaving an unreturnable shot to make it 10-7 to England, with the first game eventually finishing 11-7.

The English pair also won the second game, after being met with strong resistance from the Scottish team.

Lisa Aitken hit a masterful boast to take the game to 10-8, and the Scots won a pulsating rally to make it 10-9, but the match ultimately ended with the English pair winning the game 11-9.

Alan Clyne and Douglas Kempsell were up next, facing off against the South African duo of Jean-Pierre Brits and Christo Potgieter.

This game started at a great pace from the first point, with all areas of the court being covered, and truly showcased squash doubles at its best.

Kempsell and Clyne were frequently crossing the court to cover for each other, and this led to many exciting points being played out.

The game went to a sudden death decider point at 10-10, and it was the Scottish duo that clinched the crucial point to win the game 11-10, despite protests from their South African opponents.

Scotland rushed ahead to a 5-0 lead in the second game, however they were pegged back to 5-5 by the impressive South Africans.

Christo Potgieter hit an early contender for shot of the tournament with a stunning cross court dip shot from his knees. The Scottish players, and fans in attendance, showed their appreciation for the sublime shot.

Scotland would go on to win the thrilling game 11-7 to secure the match.

Greg Lobban and Rory Stewart came up against Singapore’s Aaron Liang and Chua Man Tong in the third game of the session involving Scottish teams.

The Scots put in a dominant performance, winning the first game 11-3 and the second game 11-2.

The duo will be hoping to maintain their high level of performance from this match as the tournament progresses.

The final game of the session involving a Scottish team was the mixed doubles clash with Greg Lobban and Lisa Aitken facing the Welsh pair of Peter Creed and Emily Whitlock.

Lobban and Aitken raced in to the lead in the first game, securing a 11-2 win in a game with a few moments of contention.

Despite a close start to the second game, the Scottish pair eventually pulled away again to secure a comfortable 11-3 victory.

The game was won with a great shot from Lisa Aitken which left the Welsh players with no chance of retrieving the ball, topping off a fine start to the tournament for the mixed pairing.