Marital concord will likely prevail as soon as extra within the Lobban family. Finally.
However for one night time solely, it was Australian Donna Lobban who earned the bragging rights over Scottish husband Greg on the Commonwealth Games in squash’s final sport of (un)joyful households – not that she was out to rub a unique victory in his face.
Watch the couple’s touching post-match second within the video above
“We’re not signing divorce papers after that – I think we’re still alright,” smiled the victorious Donna after she and her cousin Cameron Pilley defeated Greg Lobban and Lisa Aitken in a tense, tetchy, massively entertaining combined doubles quarter-final at Birmingham College.
She even forgave him for unintentionally smacking her on the again of the leg along with his racquet, through the bodily close-quarters battle received by Australia’s reigning champions 11th of September 11-8 11-8.
It was the one light-hearted second in a compelling, intense contest, with Greg giving Donna an apologetic hug as Pilley nodded in direction of Greg gravely: “Oh, you’re in trouble now…”
Naturally, on a day when Games historians desperately tried to recall when a husband and spouse had ever gone head-to-head in sporting fight for various nations at a serious championship, Donna ended up with the utmost sympathy for hubby.
“Usually you’d be just going ‘yeeeees!’ after a win like that but my heart kind of sunk. I was happy but gutted we were the ones who put them out of the tournament. Didn’t feel good,” she stated.
After his defeat, Greg loved an extended embrace with Donna within the centre of the court docket and instructed her: “I’m proud of you – now go on and win it.”
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The match turned on a few controversial ‘no let’ calls from the referee late on which had Greg having the odd wee cross phrase with the official.
Mockingly, Donna felt she’d been the sufferer of an enormous mistaken name earlier within the day when she and Rachael Grinham had been knocked out of the ladies’s doubles quarters.
On the ultimate sudden-death level, a heartless ‘no let’ name granted victory to their Malaysian opponents Rachel Arnold and Aifa Azman which prompted Lobban, fairly uncharacteristically, to hurl her racquet in fury flush in opposition to the backcourt glass.
Later, she protested they’d been “robbed” and needed to cool herself down, regroup and prepare for a redemptive match six hours later.
Greg, who’d been watching within the morning, had helped her get again in the suitable mind set.
“I’m her husband – I support her every day, today’s no different – and I’ll be supporting her tomorrow in the semis,” he stated.
Within the video under: ‘Embarrassing’ penalty shootout farce helps Aussies
Donna stated: “People were watching anything to talk about so we weren’t giving them too much.
“Er, he did whack me in the thigh but I’ll take that!
“Might have to put up with him being in a terrible mood for a while – but if I’d have lost, it would have been him putting up with me being in a terrible mood!”
She’d additionally made a wager with Greg earlier than the match that if he misplaced, he’d should make dinner for the subsequent month.
Already she’s regretting it.
“I don’t know if I want him to cook actually – pretty grim,” Donna stated.
“I should have made the bet that if I win, I’d get to shave off his mullet and his moustache! I don’t know why I didn’t think of that … too late now.”
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