Prott hopes home advantage will help against top international field

The JC Lindsay Scottish Junior Open will see 208 players from 30 different countries take to the courts over three days at Edinburgh Sports Club and The Grange, starting today.

Junior players from countries as far afield as South Korea, Japan, the United States, Egypt, Malaysia and Ecuador compete in ten categories from under-11 boys and girls up to the under-19 events.

One of Scotland’s most promising junior squash players Alasdair Prott, who trains at the Scottish Squash Academy at Heriot-watt’s Oriam Performance Centre, will be among those competing.

He will be targeting a successful defence of his Boys’ Under-17 title when the action gets under way at both venues at 9am.

Prott, 16, who finished runner-up at the British Junior Championships in October, said: “I am really looking forward to the JC Lindsay Scottish Junior Open. It’s a great competition.

“I have played it since I was under-11 and won last year.

“The Grange and Edinburgh Sports Club are really homely clubs so it’s a good atmosphere and I always get the home crowd cheering me on which is great.

“It’s always really enjoyable, a well run event with a good standard of competitor.

“Being staged just before the British Junior Open in January is a big attraction for a lot of players across the world.

“The boys’ under-17s is a really tough age category and I’m going to have to play at my best to go far in the tournament and defend my title.

“I just need to play my own game and if I play to my potential, I am in with a good shout.”