RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 Courtcraft Nick Matthew Academy Steel City
Open, Sheffield, England
Lobban
Celebrates 2014 Hat-Trick At Steel City Open
#PSAWorldTour
Rising Scottish squash star Greg Lobban claimed his third PSA World Tour
title of the year in Sheffield when he held off up-and-coming English
junior George Parker in the final of the Courtcraft Nick Matthew Academy
Steel City Open, the inaugural PSA Challenger 5 event at Hallamshire
Tennis & Squash Club in the Yorkshire city in England.
Co-sponsored by three-time world champion Nick Matthew at his home club,
the event attracted a high quality field - led by Lobban, the Scottish
number two who hails from Inverness.
The World No.67 had to overcome England's Fuller brothers Mark and Chris
to reach the 11th Tour final of his career.
In the other half of the draw, 18-year-old Parker produced some of his
best squash on the professional circuit to reach his first Tour final,
against expectations. Seeded eight, the recently-crowned British Junior
champion upset second-seeded compatriot Nathan Lake in four games in the
quarter-finals, then ousted another Englishman, No.4 seed Adam Murrills
in the semis, to make the final.
"Both players started brightly, testing each other and trying to command
the 'T' in the final," reported event spokesman Terry Dudley. "An
exchange of points took Lobban to game ball 10-6. Lobban executed a
forehand drop, with Parker stranded in the back of court, to take the
first game.
"Lobban closed out the second game 11-5 and complete dominance by him in
the third secured the match. Parker tried hard, worked hard and never
gave up - but the extra pace movement and court craft of Lobban had too
much for Parker on the day.
"All credit should go to Nick (Matthew) and Trevor Davies of ProSquash
for promoting and staging the event," concluded Dudley.
The 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 victory in 31 minutes takes Lobban's career Tour
title haul to five.
