Alasdair Prott: “Greg Lobban is a Great Example”

Scotland’s Alasdair Prott is using Greg Lobban as inspiration as he targets a spot inside the world’s top 100 ahead of the Springfield Scottish Squash Open, which takes place in his hometown of Inverness. 

The 22-year-old currently sits at career-high ranking of World No.111, after a successful summer in which he claimed his maiden PSA Tour title, the Eastside Open in Hobart. 

That was one of four events Prott played in Australia in quick succession, something he believes is an important part of his development. 

“Going away down to Australia over the summer and playing a few tournaments there has been really beneficial,” he said. 

“Playing some good squash and getting my first title is obviously nice as well, but I think it’s good at this level to be able to try and back up your performance week-on-week. I think that’s quite a hard skill to master, and one that I do still need to master, but it’s a good start.” 

Now back on more familiar soil, Prott is preparing for his second tilt at glory in a city, and a club, he knows well. 

Two years ago, Prott played the Springfield Scottish Squash Open as a wildcard, beating England’s Connor Sheen in round one before falling to fourth seed Jakub Solnicky in round two. 

This time around, Prott himself is seeded, which for some might bring added pressure, particularly playing in front of so many familiar faces in a club he played at growing up. 

The reigning Scottish under-23 champion, though, is not feeling much pressure, instead taking a different approach to this type of occasion, something he credits to time spent with a psychologist. 

Speaking on playing in the city of his birth, he said: “It’s great being back up in Inverness, not too far away from where I train in Edinburgh, and it’s good to see the family. 

“It’s different [playing at home] for sure, but I’m lucky in that I don’t think about these things too much, especially when I’m playing, but even beforehand.  

“I’ve done a bit of work with my psychologist over the past couple of years to really control what I’m thinking about before going into these scenarios, and I think that really works in that it’s now more of an enjoyment playing in front of these guys, rather than added pressure. 

“I know all the members well at Inverness Tennis & Squash Club. It’s a great facility but it’s also a great place to be socially. 

“The members bring a great atmosphere to this tournament, as they did two years ago, so that makes me look forward to getting back on court here.” 

Prott’s half of the draw features fellow Scot and top seed Rory Stewart, meaning the pair could face each other in the semi-finals, which are set to be streamed live on the BBC Sport website and BBC iPlayer. 

Despite the added incentive of a potential domestic dual with Stewart in front of the nation, Prott – the No.7 seed – is remaining grounded going into the event. 

“[Being on the BBC] is a great opportunity that you don’t see too often, and I’m going into this tournament in relatively good form, but I’m just going to be taking it game-on-game” he said. 

“It’s such a strong field, no matter who I play. Even in my first match it will be a great player, so I’m not going to get too ahead of myself yet, just take it one game at a time, and if I play as well as I know I can, I can go deep into this tournament.” 

Prott’s recent rise up the rankings has opened more doors on the Challenger Tour, paving the way for him to continue his ascent towards the likes of Stewart, who currently sits at No.48 in the world. 

If Prott wants to look for inspiration even closer to home, though, he can find it in the form of Greg Lobban, who recently cracked the world’s top 20 for the first time. 

Like Prott, Lobban hails from Inverness, and leads the way for Scottish squash as whole, which the young star believes is in a good place as he sets his sights on his own end-of-year goals. 

“Scottish squash is in a really good place, performance-wise right now, with Greg doing so well and everyone playing a really good level,” Prott said. 

“I remember [Greg] from when I was really young. I looked up to him at that point in time, and still do now. He’s a great example of what can be done and it’s something I inspire to get to in the future. 

“Getting into the top 100 is a really big goal of mine. Not the biggest, because I feel like you can always go further, but it’s a goal for this season that I would like to hit. 

“But if I’m playing good squash and I don’t hit top 100, it’s not the end of the world. I do believe it will come at some point, and the performances are more important to me right now than the number on my ranking. Trusting the process will take me to where I believe I deserve to be going.”

You can stay up to date with how Prott gets on in the Springfield Scottish Squash Open this week on the PSA Challenger Tour Facebook and X pages.