End of worlds for Lobban and Clyne

Scottish No 1 Alan Clyne produced some of the finest squash of his career before losing to defending champion Karim Abdel Gawad in the second round of the World Championship in Manchester last night.

The 31-year-old Inverness player was given little chance against the Egyptian, who beat him at the World Team Championship in Marseille just ten days previously, but Clyne matched the No 2 seed shot for shot as they shared the opening two games. Gawad regrouped, though, and rattled through the next two games in ruthless fashion to complete a lop-sided 12-10, 8-11, 11-2, 11-3 victory on the all-glass court.

Scottish No 2 Greg Lobban suffered another painful defeat to his New Zealand nemesis Paul Coll as he missed out on a place in the last 16 in Manchester.

The Inverness player had beaten German Raphael Kandra, on Sunday, and yesterday’s match gave him an ideal opportunity to overturn the result of the World Doubles final at the same venue in August when Lobban and Clyne lost their title to Coll and Campbell Grayson.

The two 25-year-olds were closely-matched, but world No 8 Coll held a slight edge, apart from a thirdgame blip, as he battled through 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 after 73 minutes on court.