Squash: Edinburgh coach leads way in qualifiers

Simon BOUGHTON, the home club’s head coach, showed how it should be done when he scored an 11-5, 11-6, 11-2 win over Anthony Brindle in last night’s qualifying rounds of the Edinburgh Squash Open at Edinburgh Sports Club.

The reward is a match tonight against 5/8 seed Eddie Charlton.

Jacques Laas, another 
Edinburgh Sports Club member, also made it through to the main draw with an 11-4, 11-8, 12-10 win over James Henderson. He now faces 5/8 seed Ben Coleman.

In the women’s qualifying, Edinburgh Sports Club’s Senga Macfie cruised into the main draw with an 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 triumph over fellow-Scot Lauren Gray.

In another all-Scottish qualifying tie, Caron Lawrie beat Mhairi Charlton 11-3, 8-11, 11-2, 11-7.

In today’s first round of the men’s event, Scotland’s top hope Greg Lobban begins his campaign against qualifier Sam Ellis. Another two Edinburgh players are in the main draw and they also play victors from last night’s qualifying. Dougie Kempsell meets Matt Sidaway and Stuart Crawford tackles Thoboki Maholo.

In the women’s event, Edinburgh’s Frania Gillen-Butchert, the only home player straight into the main draw, plays No.1 seed Emily Whitlcok.