Reward for Rory after he comes close to National final win
he’s tricky to read. It was an entertaining match and I can’t ask for more than a 3-0 win.
“I love playing the Nationals and always seem to perform at my best.
“I’m proud with 10 and would never have thought about that number when I first started playing squash. I’ll appreciate it even more when I retire.”
In the women’s event, Perth talent Katriona Allen was defeated at the semifinal stage by eventual winner Lisa Aitken, going down 11-4, 11-2, 11-4.
But the former Perth Academy pupil bounced back to take the bronze medal following an epic encounter with Claire Gadsby, who also hails from the Strath capital.
Allen claimed the first two sets before being pegged back, but she managed to hold her nerve when it mattered most to take the thriller 11-7, 11-3, 9-11, 4-11, 11-8. “It was a great match,” Allen explained, adding: “Claire is a wonderful squash player and is so talented with a racket.
“We played a few weeks back. I was just coming back from a concussion and she managed to get the edge over me 15- 13 in the final game.
“She’s just coming back to squash after a long time out with injury so there was no pressure on her.
“It’s always difficult to play someone when they are under no pressure because they relax and just enjoy the match.
“I tried to do exactly that and focus on my strengths and that worked out in the end.”
Allen has been taking time to reflect on her tournament performance and was particularly pleased with how she handled the pressure of the event.
She said: “I reflect on all my events by writing up on my phone some thoughts about how I played and also what I could do to improve next time, and how that’s going to inform my next training block.
“I keep it as simple as I can and will discuss with my coach what I come up with. Overall, I’m pleased with how well I managed to handle my nerves.
“Nationals means a lot to me and to perform well there under pressure is always a great feeling.”
The coronavirus outbreak has resulted in Allen’s competitive schedule changing but she will still be working hard to maintain fitness levels.
“The schedule was looking quite hectic but the current situation with Covid-19 has meant a bit of down time,” said Allen.
“I’ll still be keeping fit but focusing on getting my dissertation done and revising for my final year exams.”