Squash Adderley holds her nerve to clinch Senior title
GEORGIA ADDERLEY put in a superb performance to win the Sterling Trucks Scottish Senior National Championships yesterday.
The 16-year-old from Edinburgh, who has also played age-grade football for her country, is seen as Scotland’s best squash prospect – and it is easy to see why.
At Edinburgh Sports Club she showed determination and skill to defeat 20-year-old Elspeth Young from Kinross 11-4, 5-11, 11-6, 12-10 to lift the trophy in front of an appreciative audience.
After the match, a delighted Adderley said: “Coming into the event aged 16 as No.1 seed brought its own pressures, but I had played in this event last year for the first time and that helped me with nerves and what to expect out there.
“I played well in my semi-final on Saturday and that left me feeling good about the final. Elspeth is a few years younger than me and more experienced, so I knew it would be hard. We had some really good rallies in the first game, but she then came back in the second.
“At that point I had to hold my nerve, but I did and got a good start to the third game. I then managed to go on and win and the feeling at the end was amazing.”
In the men’s event Scottish No.1 Alan Clyne, who has risen to world No.32, defeated Edinburgh’s Douglas Kempsell to lift his fourth national title on the spin.
It was Clyne’s seventh victory at this event overall and he was on top from the off in the final, winning in three games 11-5, 11-5, 11-2.
The champion, 30, from Inverness, said: “I knew that Douglas would put up a real fight in the final because we all know he is a battler. That was the way that it panned out, but I managed to get on the front foot and take the win. I am often playing abroad, so I love getting a chance to play in Scottish tournaments and I am very proud to be national champion for a seventh time.”