Players from the world’s top ten are set to headline The Edinburgh Squash Open which gets underway at Edinburgh Sports on Thursday and runs until Sunday.
In the men’s draw world No 5 Karim Abdel Gawad, from Egypt, will lead the way fresh from victory in last month’s Pittsburgh Open.
In the women’s draw world No 7 Gina Kennedy will look to take home the top prize in a year which has seen her reach two semi-finals and a final in professional events.
Several other top players will compete in what is Scotland’s richest squash tournament including world No 10 Joel Makin, from Wales, and global No 14 Joelle King, from New Zealand.
In total, 40 of the world’s top players will compete for their share of a bumper $50,000 prize pot.
Alongside the array of visiting talents, 24 of Scotland’s best players will have the chance to test their game.
Greg Lobban, world No 22, will spearhead Scottish hopes as the top seeded home player in the men’s draw with this Inverness squash star looking to maintain the fine form which saw him win his 13th professional squash event in Montreal last month.
Rory Stewart, John Meehan and Alasdair Prott will also be looking to make an impact.
Alasdair Prott, who made his debut at the World Team Championship in December said: “The Edinburgh Open is always a great competition which draws in big crowds and really high-quality players.
“The quality of the draw, especially this year, is great for us guys and girls based in Scotland who wouldn’t normally get to play players at that level due to their ranking.
“The Edinburgh Open definitely gives us exposure to playing at a high level, but also an opportunity to watch squash at an incredible standard.”
In the women’s draw, Scotland’s top ranked player, world No 32 Georgia Adderley and Alison Thomson will relish the opportunity to compete at their home club, while Katriona Ross and Robyn McAlpine will also hope for strong performances.
“Georgia arrives fresh from capturing the biggest title of her professional career – and fifth overall – by winning the $20k Calgary CFO Consulting Services event in Canada.
Seeded No 2, Georgia defeated Egypt’s Salma Eltayeb in a five game final.”
Georgia said: “Some big improvements made over the last couple of months and really happy to see them out there.”
Alison Thomson, world No 90, said: “The Edinburgh Open is an amazing opportunity for us. I’m very excited to be able to get on court and compete against them, especially with the great home support at Edinburgh Sports Club.”
A graded squash tournament for amateur players will run during the event, with close to 100 players of all ages and abilities set to rub shoulders with some of the greats during the week.
Tickets to watch the event are on sale now and can be purchased on www.edinburghsportsclub.co.uk
Full draws can be found on www.edinburgshportsclub.co.uk
Evergreen sports journalist. Previously published in many publications around the world. Send me your local sports stories. billlothian1008@gmail.com
