Announcer Andy Taylor | The Voice of the Qatar Classic | Photo: Steve Cubbins
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Greg Lobban -34- (SCO) def Nafiizwan Adnan -40- (MAS)
Match recap from Announcer Andy Taylor, the Voice of the Qatar Classic.
[vector_icon icon=”fas fa-check-circle”] Final: 5-11, 11-7, 9-11, 13-11, 11-5 (82m)
It’s tremendous to see Greg Lobban back on court, healthy and competing. In 2016, his tore his hamstring during the Chicago Open final. It was truly frustrating. The Scot was trending up.
After surgery and 6-months of recovery, he battled back – and last May, cracked the PSA top-30 for the first time. Earlier this month at the US Open, he won his third career main-draw match at a Platinum-level event.
Today’s victory over Nafiiswan Adnan marks his fourth. And he’s on the hunt to reach the 3rd-Round of a Platinum for the first time. This was the first meeting between these two players.
Each player’s announcer introduction for today’s Round-1 match…
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Greg Lobban -34- (SCO)
At 26-years-old, this 2013 Scottish Nationals Champion owns 9 PSA titles, has reached 20 championship matches, and last season climbed to a career-high ranking of World #30. Two season’s back, he went on a remarkable run after an inspiring return to the game. In October, he reached the Final of the 2016 Chicago Open, but was injured in the championship match. After six months away, he returned to the sport with a fierce determination to pick up right where he left off. And that he did – reaching five consecutive Finals, earning three titles, and jumping over 20-spots in the PSA rankings by season’s end. Competing in his 2nd Qatar Classic Squash Championship, he started the new season by reaching the championship match at the Scottish Nationals for the 6th year in a row – From Scotland, please welcome the #34 Player in the World, Greg Lobban.
Nafiizwan Adnan -40- (MAS)
In the past year, this 2-time Malaysian Nationals Champion captured individual Bronze at the Commonwealth Games. He earned Team Gold and individual Bronze at the Asian Games, won his 11th PSA title, and reached his 6th successive title-match at the Malaysian Nationals. Two years ago, he earned one of biggest victories of his career at the PSA World Championship, defeating World #4 Omar Mosaad to reach the 3rd-Round of sport’s most prestigious event for the first time. Later that season, he climbed to a career-high ranking of World #26. Competing in his 7th Qatar Classic Squash Championship, he’s looking to reach the 2nd-Round of a PSA Platinum event for the 6th time. From Malaysia, please welcome the World #40, Nafiizwan Adnan
- Nafiizwan Adnan’s last Platinum-level main draw victory came at the 2016 US Open, where he defeated World #11 Miguel Angel Rodriguez to reach Round-2. It was his 5th Platinum main-draw victory and first in Philadelphia. A month later, he earned a career-best run at the PSA World Championship, defeating World #4 Omar Mosaad in Round-2, in a 102-minute deciding-game tiebreak.
