The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Added incentive as Aitken returns to old stomping ground
Squash: Top seed faces tough opener at North of Scotland Open in Aberdeen
Scotland’s number one female squash player, Lisa Aitken from Montrose, says winning the TRAC Oil & Gas North of Scotland Open in Aberdeen this week would be a career highlight.
The 28-year-old grew up playing on the courts at Aberdeen Squash & Racketball Club and is thrilled the club is hosting its first ever Women’s PSA World Tour $5k event alongside the men’s $10k equivalent.
Serious illness contracted in the summer of 2014 derailed her sporting ambitions for more than two years but she has made her mark in recent months, winning her first PSA World Tour title at the New Zealand Classic in June and adding a second at the PWC Open in October.
Aitken, who is heading to the Commonwealth Games with Team Scotland next month, says a third PSA Perth’s Rory Stewart claimed a notable scalp yesterday to qualify for the North of Scotland Squash Open.
The 21-year-old is world-ranked more than 70 places lower than Watford left-hander Joe Green, but beat him 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 in the final qualifying round.
He could potentially face top seed Josh Masters in the main draw today. tour victory this week on home turf would top the lot.
She said: “I remember being a kid training at Aberdeen Squash and Racketball Club, and to think I have a chance to win a big professional tournament there now is amazing.
“Yes I won a couple of tournaments last year, but to win a $5k event in Aberdeen would be the best win out the three. It’s the club where I grew up, and having my friends and family coming to watch will be brilliant.”
She added: “By the end of March, Scotland will have hosted two PSA World Tour events this year, which I can’t ever recall before.
“It’s great for women’s squash in Scotland, and the organisers of this year’s TRAC Oil & Gas North of Scotland Open have done a great job getting a PSA women’s event to Aberdeen.”
Top seed Aitken will face England’s Victoria Temple-murray in round one today, and the Scot expects a tricky opening match.
“Victoria has been out injured with an ACL injury and this is her first tournament back,” she said.
“We could easily have met in the final, so to have her in the first round is tough.
“I need to be on my game right from the word go because she will not be easy to beat.”
enicolson@thecourier.co.uk