Donna foils Fuller as Greg sinks Selby – now for Courtice and Gawad in the finals
By STEVE CUBBINS – Squash Mad Correspondent

Husband and wife Greg Lobban repeated their extraordinary heroics in the semi-finals of the Edinburgh Squash Club Open. Donna battled back from two games down to see off South African Alexandra Fuller and Greg took 96 minutes to beat five-times champion Daryl Selby.

Yesterday Donna was two-love up and held off a comeback from top seed Emily Whitlock to win in five games. Today she was two-nil down to fourth seeded South African Fuller and fought back to win in five!

Fuller controlled the first two games 11-8, 11-6, her pacy hitting and smooth movement keeping Lobban off balance and unable to impose herself on the match.

The Aussie started the third strongly and started to find her range, reducing the deficit 11-5 and leading the early stages of the fourth. Fuller levelled at 8-all but Lobban moved ahead again, levelling the match 12-10 on her third game ball and urging the crowd on as she left the court – not that they needed any such encouragement.

The fifth was nervous, neither player managed to get ahead as the lead changed hands. It was Fuller who edged ahead from 9-all to earn a match ball, but three points in a row for an emotional Lobban and she was through to the final 12-10 in 57 minutes.

She said: “Dramatic or what – you’d think I love the drama, but I’d much rather win easily! She was playing amazing in the first two games, but maybe I was playing her game too much. I think I did a good job of playing my game after that. It was effective but I had to work hard to stick to it. It was a great match, tough one to win.

“Greg joked last night that me putting him through the wringer before his match obviously worked and that I’d have to do it again. I don’t think he saw it coming, but he got his wish!”

Second seed Julianne Courtice reached her second ESC Open final in three years as she overcame long time adversary Rachael Chadwick in four games. Chadwick was ahead throughout the first, taking the lead 11-9 and was 9-7 up in the second before a run of four points put Courtice level.

It was plain sailing after that as Courtice took the third 11-4 and eased through the fourth against a dispirited opponent 11-2, reaching the final in 38 minutes.

She said: “That second was much needed, if I’d lost that it would have been a real battle,” said Julianne. “But to get to level pegging gave me the confidence to push ahead in the third.

“I’ve only played Donna once on PSA, and lost 3-2, but she’s had some real battles here so far. I hope I can give her another one tomorrow and get the crowd going again, and maybe on my side!”

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The first men’s semi-final went the distance as second seed Karim Abdel Gawad locked horns with 3/4 seed Joel Makin. The Egyptian was in charge in the first, taking the lead 11-6, but Makin struck back to take the second and third, both 11-8.

If Gawad was going to reach the final he’d need to win a second consecutive five-setter, and that’s just what he did, delighting the crowd with his silky skills as he took the last two games, both 11-6.

“Tough, and tough again! I flew to London, played a PSL match in Birmingham, flew to Scotland for a five setter yesterday, I didn’t expect that I’d be able to last long against Joel today, but I was happy with my squash and my performance.

“The crowd here are beautiful, and the great thing about this court is that you feel like you’re playing in the middle of the crowd. Looking forward to playing the final on it tomorrow.”

Having despatched Paul Coll yesterday, Greg Lobban looked like he was going to do it again as he powered into a two game lead over 3/4 seed Daryl Selby 11-6, 11-5, and with the Englishman looking the more fatigued of the two as the third game started, another three-nil seemed to be on the cards.

But Daryl isn’t a five-time ESC Open champion for nothing, and he dug in as only he can, making every rally tough and at times earning a breather as he questioned referee John Massarella’s decisions – not an opinion, after one exchange he admitted “I need a rest!”

Neither player could score a run of points now, and the next three games were an exhibition of court craft and sheer determination. Daryl saved one match ball in the third and two more in the fourth, taking them both 13-11.

There was no letup in the fifth, as Daryl eked out a 7-3 lead only for Greg to fight back to 8-all, then 9-all. The last two points went Greg’s way and he lifted him arms into the air as reached the final for the second time in three years.

“That was very tough out there. So happy to win in five. Daryl is such a battle hardened competitor and even at 2-0 up I knew I couldn’t relax.

“He played the right game and fought his way back into the match very well. I tried to stay as calm as possible when I was 7-3 down in the 5th and trusted my ability to work my way back into the decider and thankfully managed to win the last point.

“Donna has been doing her best to emotionally drain me by battling through to win in five games herself the last few days but she definitely gave me the inspiration I needed to keep pushing tonight.”

There followed a presentation to long-time tournament supporter and five-time champion Daryl,in which he was awarded life membership of the club.

The finals start at 3pm today (Sunday).

More pictures on the tournament site: www.edinburghopensquash.com

Edinburgh Sports Club Open 2020, Edinburgh Sports Club, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Men’s Semi-Finals:
[2] Karim Abdel Gawad (Egy) 3-2 [3/4] Joel Makin (Wal) 11-6, 8-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6 (76m)
[5/8] Greg Lobban (Sco) 3-2 [3/4] Daryl Selby (Eng) 11-6, 11-5, 11-13, 11-13, 11-9 (96m)
Women’s Semi-Finals:
[5] Donna Lobban (Aus) 3-2 [4] Alexandra Fuller (Rsa) 8-11, 6-11, 11-5, 12-10,12-10 (57m)
[2] Julianne Courtice (Eng) 3-1 [6] Rachael Chadwick (Eng) 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-2 (38m)

Pictures by STEVE CUBBINS courtesy of ESC

Wales coach Wayne Pivac has labelled Josh Adams as one of the best wingers in the world after his hat-trick against Italy in the 42-0 opening Six Nations win.

Adams followed up being the top try scorer in the World Cup in Japan last year by taking his tally to 10 tries in his last eight Wales Test matches.

"On the biggest stage in world rugby he was the top try scorer so he has got to be right up there," said Pivac.

"That record speaks for itself."

Adams now has scored 14 tries in 22 internationals and he became the first Welshman to score a home Five or Six Nations hat-trick since Maurice Richards crossed four times in 1969 against England.

"What I liked was his last try and he could have easily just parked up on his wing but he came close to the ruck and scored late on," Pivac added.

"With Stephen Jones running our attack and the way we want to play the game wingers get more opportunity potentially so I think he will enjoy the way we play."

Adams believes the five-try demolition of Italy demonstrates Wales will play a more expansive game under Pivac.

"It could very well be," said Adams. "The way we want to go about playing is a bit more way in the positive way.

"There is more ball movement and putting teams under pressure in the wider channels.

"It was our first real Test match under Wayne and we have now had two weeks together.

"We were not the finished article and there is a lot more to come from this group and the excitement is good because we know where we can get to and how dangerous we are going to be."

Replacement centre Nick Tompkins, who qualifies through his Welsh grandmother, also impressed on his debut with a superb second-half solo try,

"Nick showed the time he was on the field he has a lot of talent and ability," said Pivac.

"A lot of people know now who Nick Tompkins is."

Fly-half Dan Biggar, who finished with 13 points, also looked assured including an outrageous try-scoring pass between his legs for Adams second try.

"It just shows the confidence he has at the moment," said Pivac.

"Dan is a very confident guy and he knew exactly where his wing was and the situation and he had the skill to execute it brilliantly. I was very pleased with Dan all around and he had a very good game.

"He was one of the guys who was leading our line speed and I thought he had a pretty good all-round game."

Pivac also praised the defensive effort under new coach Byron Hayward who has replaced Shaun Edwards.

"I am very pleased for Byron because he is a guy who is working away in the background on his craft and doing a pretty good job," said the Wales coach.

Pivac said scrum-half Gareth Davies, hooker Elliot Dee and centre Owen Watkin should be fit to face Ireland next Saturday in Dublin.

Full-back Liam Williams remains a doubt as Pivac considers changing a winning side.

"We're working towards the big goal of the World Cup in 2023 and we're trying to win in this campaign," said Pivac.

"To do that, we have to put out a side that we think can get a job done each week.

"There may be change, there may not, we'll just have to see how we go in the early part of the week when we review this performance."

Scotland captain Stuart Hogg says he's "gutted" about the mistake that cost his side a try against Ireland and apologised to his team-mates for his "schoolboy error".

Hogg spilled the ball over the try line under no pressure as Scotland lost 19-12 in Dublin.

The visitors had a penalty advantage and kicked three points rather than earning five or seven.

"I can't change what happened. I just need to get on with it," Hogg said.

"I apologised to the boys. We got ourselves into a good position after the forwards' good work and I'm bitterly disappointed I couldn't finish it off," the Exeter full-back added.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend said Hogg was "outstanding" during the game and should "flush" the error and move on.

"Stuart was probably excited for scoring the try and it's not like him," Townsend told BBC Radio Scotland.

"We had a number of other occasions close to the try line - whether it was the ball-carrier presenting the ball better, 50-50 decisions from the referee that didn't go our way, or ourselves not getting speed to contact. They were as important as that incident.

"Stuart should flush that and move on because he was outstanding today and has been a very good leader the last two weeks."

'There were so many good aspects'

Scotland dominated swathes of a frustrating contest, but were unable to convert a glut of promising field position into a try that might have ended their 10-year wait for a Dublin victory.

Townsend singled out Edinburgh prop Rory Sutherland, who impressed on his first Test appearance since 2016, and debutant number eight Nick Haining, for praise after dynamic shifts.

He also revealed several of the squad had fallen unwell in the lead-up to the match, with prop Simon Berghan a late withdrawal on Saturday.

"For Rory to be out of Test rugby for nearly four years, to not have played many Edinburgh games this year, and play with that technical ability and attitude around the scrum was brilliant to see," he said.

"Nick was actually ill this morning. Simon called off ill. Stuart Hogg was ill two days ago.

"I'm really proud of Nick's performance, to go from probably not thinking he'd be playing Test rugby this year to starting at the Aviva and being one of the best players on the field was really encouraging."

After a poor 2019, culminating in a pool-stage exit at the Rugby World Cup, Scotland's starting XV showed 10 changes from their last outing, a defeat by Japan.

Townsend has also added a new defence coach in Steve Tandy and scrum specialist in Pieter de Villiers, with the set-piece making notable strides under the guidance of the former France prop.

"There were so many good aspects for a new team and coaching staff today that we'll build on," the head coach said.

"There are some really outstanding parts of the game that had Ireland under a lot of pressure. We just have to learn that sometimes you don't get these opportunities away from home against such a good team so you've got to take them."

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – With his chances for victory in front of partisan crowds likely dashed, Jon Rahm didn’t mince words about what part of his game let him down during the third round at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Rahm’s 3-under 68 was hardly a disaster by any standards, but it paled in comparison to the 62 fired by his playing partner, Tony Finau, Saturday at TPC Scottsdale. The Spaniard now sits six shots behind Finau heading into the final round, left to regret some missed chances after hitting 15 of 18 greens in regulation for the second time this week.

“I can’t make a putt. If I could make a putt, I would be happier,” Rahm said. “I’m hitting it good, I just can’t seem to roll it in, and at this point it just seems like it’s a little bit too far to be able to make it up.”

Rahm’s only bogey of the day came when he hooked a 3-wood into the water on No. 17, as a birdie on 15 had briefly revived thoughts of a rally into contention. But looking back, the Spaniard highlighted two short missed putts from inside 16 feet on Nos. 11 and 12 as the turning point of the round.

“That would have made a two-shot swing that could have maybe changed things around or maybe kept me going in a better back nine,” he said.

Rahm is the highest-ranked player in the field, and he entered the week with a chance to ascend to the top spot in the world rankings with a victory just a short drive from his old college stomping grounds of Arizona State. While the closing stretch on the Stadium Course gets most of the attention, Rahm’s chances to contend have largely stalled out on the front side that many of the fans might miss during their trek to the infamous 16^th green.

“Every day has been the same story. The first few holes I haven’t been giving myself the closes chances,” he said. “But that’s what it is. Things are going good, definitely don’t have my A game. But hopefully I can just keep working on it and just tinker with my game towards the rest of the season.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – If Tony Finau holds on to his tenuous lead at the Waste Management Phoenix Open for his first win in nearly four years, he might have the late Kobe Bryant to thank.

Finau was one of several players in the field who planned tributes to the fallen Lakers star this week at TPC Scottsdale, as he put on one of Bryant’s jerseys in the tunnel leading to the 16th hole during the opening round. He played the hole wearing the jersey, making a par, but wore it again Friday en route to a birdie.

The jersey again helped Finau Saturday on 16, when he fired up the crowd before stuffing his shot to 5 feet for another birdie on the PGA Tour’s most raucous hole.

“I had a perfect number for a sand wedge and go ahead and fire right at the pin. Damn near made it,” Finau said. “So that would have been pretty sweet with the Kobe jersey on. But I like that shot.”

The birdie was one of seven on the day as Finau surged into the lead after signing for a 9-under 62. After missing the cut here each of the last three years, he’ll carry a one-shot lead over Webb Simpson into the final round as he looks to win for the first time since the 2016 Puerto Rico Open.

And once the leaders reach the 16th hole Sunday afternoon, you can expect the Bryant jersey to make another appearance.

“I’m pretty happy with being a couple under in that Kobe jersey,” Finau said. “Looks like I’ll be wearing it tomorrow.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Life is good when you’ve lost count of your holes-in one.

Webb Simpson has made three aces during competition on the PGA Tour, but when you throw in practice he’s up nine. Or maybe 10?

“I don’t know. Which is sad, I’m sorry,” Simpson said. “Maybe nine. But 10 sounds better than nine. So we’ll go with 10.”

No. 9 (or 10, depending on your count) came Saturday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, when Simpson holed a 7-iron from 196 yards on the 12^th hole. While there’s never a bad time for an ace, Simpson’s shot came at an especially opportune moment as it vaulted him into a share of the lead. He ended up shooting a 7-under 64 in the third round and sits alone in second place, one shot behind Tony Finau.

“As soon as I hit it, I knew I hit a good shot,” Simpson said. “I was looking at the crowd, and they got more excited and then their hands went up. And at first my first thought was, ‘That couldn’t have gone in.’ And then it dawned on me they were really excited. So it was fun.”

Simpson admitted that his third-round ace may have been a product in part of osmosis, given that he spoke earlier in the day with Scott Piercy about Piercy’s hole-in-one Friday on No. 7.

“I think it was just in my mind, I guess,” Simpson said. “I’m not going to tell anybody about my hole-in-one. I don’t want to help anybody else for tomorrow. But yeah, it was cool how we were talking about it just this morning.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Despite struggling to keep pace with the field during the third round, J.B. Holmes still heads into Sunday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open with a shot at No. 3.

Holmes started the day with a one-shot lead at TPC Scottsdale, and he rolled in four birdies on the afternoon. But he also carded three bogeys in an eight-hole stretch in the middle of the round, as a 1-under 70 dropped him into a tie for third at 14 under, two shots behind leader Tony Finau.

“I mean, I caught some bad breaks today,” Holmes said. “I just hung in there and towards the end made a couple birdies, so gave myself a chance for tomorrow and that’s what we’re shooting for.”

Holmes has struggled since his win a year ago at the Genesis Open, failing to crack the top 15 in 20 subsequent starts. But he knows a thing or two about success on the Stadium Course, having earned his first two PGA Tour victories at this event back in 2006 and 2008.

While both the course and the player have changed in the interim decade-plus, Holmes still hopes that there are some lingering good vibes along the fairways and greens here as he looks to add a third WMPO title to his collection.

“I mean, you always have good feelings when you come here,” he said. “You try to remember the great shots you hit here and all the success you had. So yeah, you can look at that going into tomorrow and we’ll see what happens.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – While players have been honoring the late Kobe Bryant with tributes throughout the week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the PGA Tour will do their part during Sunday’s final round.

The Tour announced that the pin position on the famed 16th hole will be 24 paces on and 8 paces from the left, an homage to the two uniform numbers that Bryant wore during his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. The flag will be embroidered with No. 8 on one side and No. 24 on the other, and a purple-and-gold stencil with both numbers will be painted into the grass in front of the par-3 green.

Tournament leader Tony Finau is one of several players who have worn one of Bryant’s jerseys while playing No. 16 during the tournament, while others have opted for custom shoes and putter covers honoring the 18-time NBA All-Star. Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, were among nine victims who died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 in California.