Australia Celebrate Oceania Junior Double
Australia
celebrated a regional double on New Zealand soil when second
seeds Solayman Nowrozi and Lakeesha Rarere scored
unexpected title triumphs in the Oceania Junior U19 Squash
Championships at Squash City in Invercargill.
Rarere, a 17-year-old Queenslander who was born in New Zealand,
faced Kiwi favourite Eleanore Epke in the women's final.
Ranked 88 in the world after reaching her maiden WSA World Tour
final in January, Rarere (pictured above) brushed aside fellow
17-year-old Epke 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 to win the title for the first
time.
The men's final was an all-Australian affair in which Nowrozi also
lined up against the event's top seed. Brisbane-based Sam Ejtemai
reached the final without dropping a game - and endured a mammoth
23-minute opening game before fellow 18-year-old Nowrozi opened up a
one-game lead in the final.
It
was in the second game that Ejtamai injured himself - and was forced
to concede the match after just two games to give Pakistan-born
Nowrozi (pictured above), from Melbourne, the title.
Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Sam Ejtemai (AUS) bt Montell-Zachary Whatarangi (NZL)
11-5, 11-6, 11-5
[4] Scott Galloway (NZL) bt Chapman Kutia (NZL) 11-7,
11-7, 11-9
[3] Luke Jones (NZL) bt Jayden Millard (NZL) 11-4,
11-5, 11-8
[2] Solayman Nowrozi (AUS) bt Joseph Williams (NZL)
11-5, 9-11, 11-1, 11-8
Semi-finals:
[1] Sam Ejtemai (AUS) bt [4] Scott Galloway (NZL)
11-4, 11-5, 11-9
[2] Solayman Nowrozi (AUS) bt [3] Luke Jones (NZL)
2-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6
Final:
[2] Solayman Nowrozi (AUS) bt [1] Sam Ejtemai (AUS)
12-10, 11-7 ret.
Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Eleanore Epke (NZL) bt Anna Hughes (NZL) 11-9,
10-12, 7-11, 11-1, 11-3
[4] Victoria Leow (AUS) bt Juee Bhide (NZL) 7-11,
11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9
[3] Abbie Palmer (NZL) bt Kaitlyn Watts (NZL) 11-4,
11-7, 11-1
[2] Lakeesha Rarere (AUS) bt Samantha Calvert (AUS)
11-9, 11-6, 11-5
Semi-finals:
[1] Eleanore Epke (NZL) bt [4] Victoria Leow (AUS)
11-6, 11-8, 14-12
[2] Lakeesha Rarere (AUS) bt [3] Abbie Palmer (NZL)
11-6, 11-5, 11-4
Final:
[2] Lakeesha Rarere (AUS) bt [1] Eleanore Epke (NZL)
11-5, 11-4, 11-5
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