Kevin Moran is going solo as the highest-ranked Scot at this week's TRAC North of Scotland Championships, but his focus this summer is to continue to take advantage of having stolen someone else's partner.
The Aberdeen event is one of two Scottish additions to the Professional Squash Association tour but, while Scotland's top two players Alan Clyne and Greg Lobban will both contest the better-funded Loch Ness Challenge in their native Inverness in June, Moran, a 23-year-old from Paisley, is able to enjoy being the earlier focus of home interest as an individual.
He will join Clyne and Lobban in the singles draw at the Commonwealth Games later this year, although it was his ability in doubles which earned him the opportunity.
It is in that discipline that Roger Flynn, head coach at Scottish Squash, identified the best chance of claiming medals this summer but he knew that also depended on getting the partnerships right.
When weighing up his options, it was certain that Clyne and Harry Leitch would remain in tandem, having finished fourth in Delhi, while Alex Clark and Frania Gillen-Butchart were the outstanding women's pair.
Other places were up for grabs as Flynn turned match-maker, making it clear that it was not simply about putting the two best individuals together. "Doubles needs a variety of things, mixing experience with youth, speed with intelligence . . . it's all about player chemistry," Moran added. "I tended to excel at the mixed doubles which is why I decided to pursue that, while Dougie Kempsell [previously Moran's partner] opted to play men's doubles with Lyall Paterson who had been Alex's partner. So we all split up and kept moving around and Alex and I clicked."
That happened almost immediately as it turned out. "We gave it a run through at the British Open doubles and got a qualifying win in our first event by beating the No.1 Welsh pair," said Moran.
He is likely to face the top seed Joel Hinds - an Englishman 43 places above him in the world rankings at No.82 - in Aberdeen if he beats a qualifier in the first round today.
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