Diego
Elias & Nouran Gohar Are The 2015
World Junior Champions
Diego Elias and Nouran
Gohar have been crowned the champions of the 2015 WSF World
Junior Individual Squash Championships after triumphs in today's
finals in the Netherlands - Peruvian Elias overcoming Egypt's Youssef
Soliman at the Squashtime Centre in Eindhoven to
retain the title he won for the first time last year in Namibia, and
second seed Gohar upsetting top seed Habiba Mohamed in the other
final to deny her Egyptian compatriot a second successive women's title.
Top seed Elias, who last year became Peru's first
world squash champion, has been imperious form throughout the week. The
18-year-old from Lima reached the final without conceding a game - then
took on surprise finalist Youssef Soliman, a 3/4 seed from Egypt.
Elias - ranked 43 in the world, 133 places higher than
his opponent - was forced to battle for 51 minutes before overcoming
Soliman 11-6, 11-9, 11-8.
The win sees the South American squash star become
only the fourth player in history to win the men's world junior title
twice, after Egyptians Ramy Ashour, Mohamed Elshorbagy and
Marwan Elshorbagy.
"I feel very happy to win this title," the triumphant
Elias (picured above with Soliman) said later. "It's what you work for.
It's thanks to my supporters, trainers, and family - especially my Dad
who pushed me and worked with me - making this happen.
"This has been an important month for me, with the Pan
American Games where I played well to reach - and almost win - the
final, and now this.
"It's an honour to join the list of people who have
won this title twice and I hope I can continue to progress as they
have."
After winning the women's title for the first time
last year at the age of 15 - beating Gohar in the final -
Alexandria-born Habiba Mohamed had in her sights the potential to
win the title an unprecedented four times.
But world No.15 Gohar - who had ever before beaten her
fellow countrywoman, yet was ranked higher than her 19-ranked opponent -
was eager to disprove the seedings while endorsing the rankings.
Honours were shared after the first two games, but
from five-all in the third Gohar burst ahead to take a 2/1 lead.
The fourth game was an epic - 30 minutes of
unrelenting effort and tension. Mohamed led at 4-1 but Gohar levelled at
6-all. 7-all, 8-all, and 9-all. The favourite had four game-balls, and
Gohar had two match-balls before finally converting her third with a low
drive that former champion Mohamed had no chance of reaching.
"I can't feel anything right now, I'm so happy," said
the delighted Gohar (pictured above after clinching her win) after her
11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 17-15 title triumph in 69 minutes.
"In the second game she played very well and I lost
concentration, but then I played well again in the third.
"I didn't think of last year at all, I know I played
badly then and I didn't want it to affect me.
"The fourth was so tough, if I'd lost that I don't
think I would have had anything left, I was so pleased to finish it in
four, I really don't know what happened at the end!"
Egypt have been named as
top seeds in the 2015 WSF Women's World Junior Team Championship
which gets underway tomorrow. 18 nations will be competing in the
biennial event in which defending champions Egypt are expected to face
second seeds USA in the final for the third time in a row.
RESULTS: WSF World Junior Squash Championships,
Eindhoven, Netherlands
Men's final:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bt [3/4] Youssef Soliman (EGY) 11-6,
11-9, 11-8 (51m)
Champions
Elias & Mohamed On Course For World Title Defence
Defending champions Diego Elias and Habiba
Mohamed are just one step away from retaining their titles in the
WSF World Junior Individual Squash Championships - but their
victories in today's semi-finals at the Squashtime Centre in
Eindhoven in the Netherlands could hardly have been more
contrasting.
Top seed Elias, whose success in last year's
championship in Namibia made him Peru's first world squash champion,
cruised through his match against Malaysian Eain Yow Ng in just
20 minutes.
The 18-year-old world No.43 from Lima crushed Ng 11-4,
11-1, 11-2 in his fifth successive straight games win in the event.
"I enjoyed that, apart from the running," the
17-year-old Malaysian said (pictured above, left, with Elias) "I've
played a few of the top guys in PSA events now, but I've never been put
under pressure like that!"
Elias will now face surprise opponent Youssef
Soliman after the 3/4 seed emerged victorious following a four-game
victory over fellow Egyptian Saadeldin Abouaish in 72 minutes.
"Reaching the final is a big thing for me," said the
delighted 18-year-old from Cairo (pictured above, foreground, with
Abouaish) after his 11-5, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8 triumph. "It's hard to play
someone you know so well, I tried to change my game but he played well
and made it very tough at the end.
"I hope I play well in the final and that it's a good
match."
Egyptian Habiba Mohamed went into her women's
semi-final clash with Salma Hany Ibrahim boasting an unbeaten
record against her fellow Alexandrian. Showing little evidence of the
toll the previous two five-game matches must have taken, underdog
Ibrahim took the opening game, then the third after the top seed struck
back in the second.
The defending champion levelled again - but Ibrahim
refused to give up, leading various times in the decider before earning
four match balls at 10-6.
However, a determined Mohamed fought back to draw
level at 10-all, then won the next rally to earn her own first
match-ball before putting the ball into the tin to hand back the
advantage to her opponent. At her next match-winning opportunity, the
title-holder fired in a winning boast from deep to keep alive her hopes
of retaining the trophy.
"I'm happy to win of course, but I don't feel like I
played well," admitted Mohamed (pictured above celebrating her victory)
after the 10-12, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 13-11 victory after 83 minutes. "All
credit to Salma, she played so well and made it a really tough match.
She had a lot of strokes which I didn't agree with, but I had a chat
with the referees afterwards who explained what was happening - I'd like
to thank them for doing a tough job.
"At 6-10 in the fifth I was telling myself that I was
the number one and I want to stay there, I won't lose, I just won't
lose!
"Now I'll need to get some rest before the next match.
I'll do my best - and I won't give up!"
In a repeat of last year's women's final, Mohamed will
play Nouran Gohar after the second seed also survived a close
encounter with a fellow Egyptian, beating 3/4 seed Mariam Metwally
5-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 in just under an hour.
"I just didn't find my game at the start," admitted
the relieved Gohar, the world No.15 from Cairo (pictured above in
celebratory action), afterwards. "She was playing really well and there
wasn't much I could do. For the next three games I felt I was in
control, but then at 10-2 she started attacking everything again, going
crazy and coming back at me.
"I was so relieved at the end, I thought it would be a
let but I was so glad when I head the referee say no let, it was getting
close!
"I haven't played Habiba since last year's final, so I
haven't thought about a plan yet, maybe I need to now! I hope it will be
a good final, a clean match and that the crowd enjoy it."
Egyptians
Home In On World Junior Titles
Egyptians continued their advance in the 2015 WSF
World Junior Individual Squash Championships at the Squashtime
Centre in Eindhoven in the Netherlands where quarter-final
successes have already guaranteed the nation a men's finalist for the
tenth successive year and an all-Egyptian women's semi-final line-up for
the third year in a row.
But it was Saadeldin Abouaish who provided
Egypt's most unexpected success on day three when the 17-year-old from
Cairo denied Tayyab Aslam an anticipated place in the final by
beating the second-seeded Pakistani 6-11, 11-8, 11-5, 15-13 in 74
minutes - the longest match of the day.
"That was one of the hardest matches I've ever played
mentally," admitted the surprise winner (pictured above in celebration).
"It's one of my best ever wins and I still don't know how I managed to
come back like that - I've never reacted like that at the end of a
match, ever!"
The triumph ensures Egyptian interest in the climax as
the 5/8 seed will face fellow countryman Youssef Soliman. The 3/4
seed ended English interest in the event following an 11-8, 12-10, 11-4
win over 5/8 seed Patrick Rooney.
"We have a great team spirit and all wanted to do
well, the pressure's off a little tomorrow as there will definitely be
an Egyptian finalist," added Abouaish. "I play my good friend, and may
the best man win!"
Egypt's manager Omar Abdel Aziz was equally
delighted: "It's a great day for us, having six in the semi-finals,"
said the former world No.31. "The girls have performed as well as ever,
and the boys, after the disappointment of losing a 3/4 seed so early,
brought the team together and made them determined to do well. I'm proud
of them."
In the top half of the men's draw, Eain Yow Ng
provided Malaysia's first semi-finalist in the event since 2009 after
despatching unseeded Pakistani Asim Khan 11-4, 11-6, 10-12, 11-9.
"I was winning when I was playing aggressively,"
admitted the 17-year-old from Kuala Lumpur. "But then he started coming
back and I went a little too defensive, so playing like that at the end
sort of worked against me but fortunately he made the errors in the end.
"I felt tired after yesterday's match and thought he
would be fresher, but once we started I could see that he felt as bad as
I did, so that was a relief, but he got stronger as the match went on.
"Still, I'm happy it didn't go to five and pleased to
make the semis, it's been a while since a Malaysian was there!"
Ng will now face Diego Elias after the top seed
and defending champion from Peru produced his fourth successive straight
games win in an 11-6, 11-8, 11-4 victory over Pakistan's Israr Ahmed.
The most dramatic comeback took place in the women's
championship where Salma Hany Ibrahim, a 3/4 seed from Egypt
marking her fourth successive quarter-final appearance, faced US hope
Sabrina Sobhy, a 5/8 seed making her fifth successive appearance in
the event.
Underdog Sobhy soared to a 2/0 lead before Hany
reduced the deficit to win game three, then battled back from 1-6 down
in the fourth to draw level. With both players giving everything they
had, Hany managed to establish a lead in the decider, before finally
taking the match 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7 after 52 minutes.
"She played so well at the start," admitted the
18-year-old from Alexandria (pictured above after her victory). "She was
causing me lots of problems and I couldn't find a way to get to her
shots. But I believed I could win and tried to take it point by point
and managed to win the games that way.
"This is my first semi-final after losing in the
quarters the last three times, so I'm really pleased - but I want to
make sure I give it my all tomorrow."
Hany's semi-final opponent will be fellow Alexandrian
Habiba Mohamed, the top seed and defending champion who needed 45
minutes to see off compatriot Hania El Hammamy 11-2, 11-6, 11-9.
Hong Kong interest in the event ended when second seed
Nouran Gohar beat Choi Uen Shan 11-4, 12-10, 11-4. The
Cairo-based 17-year-old will now take on fellow countrywoman Mariam
Metwally. The 3/4 seed beat England's Georgina Kennedy 13-11,
11-3, 7-11, 11-4 to reach the semi-finals for the fourth year in a row.
"Like yesterday, I started well, so relaxed, and then
lost a bit of concentration," said Metwally. "I managed to win by
playing softly, trying to take the pace out it, but I went to sleep in
the third but I was focussed from the start of the fourth and got my
soft game back.
"I'll be playing Nouran tomorrow, it should be a good
match like our semi-final last year and our British Junior final.
Gohar is also looking forward to the semi-final clash:
"I played better than I did yesterday," said world No.15 Gohar, the
highest-ranked player in the draw. "It will be a great game with Mariam,
as usual, and I'll put in every effort to reach the final."
RESULTS: WSF World Junior Squash Championships,
Eindhoven, Netherlands
Egyptians Make It Five For The Fifth Year In The World
Juniors
For a remarkable fifth successive year, five Egyptians
will line up in the women's quarter-finals of the WSF World Junior
Individual Squash Championships after Habiba Mohamed,
Nouran Gohar, Mariam Metwally, Hania El Hammamy and
Salma Hany Ibrahim (as pictured below) came through contrasting
fourth round clashes in the World Squash Federation championships
at the Squashtime Centre in Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, Pakistan celebrated its best representation
in the men's event since 2006 with three players achieving
quarter-finals berths after second seed Tayyab Aslam and Israr
Ahmed claimed their anticipated places, joined by unseeded
compatriot Asim Khan.
18-year-old Mariam Metwally is making her final
appearance in the women's championship - but marked her fifth successive
appearance in the quarter-finals after surviving the longest match of
the championship to date. A 3/4 seed, the world No.37 from Alexandria
overcame USA's Reeham Sedky, the reigning US Junior Open
champion, 11-13, 18-16, 11-8, 11-7 in 81 minutes - saving two game-balls
in a marathon second game to avoid going two games down.
"I started the match feeling really calm and focused,
but halfway through the first I started putting so much pressure on
myself, I was so nervous and couldn't do anything," Metwally said later.
"She was attacking everything and me, all my dropshots were strokes or
tins!
"I was aware of all the Americans in the crowd and it
was getting really tough. I told myself I couldn't afford to lose the
second game - if I had I would have been going home - but thankfully I
just managed to take it and it worked out from there.
"Hopefully I'll be more composed and play my game
consistently tomorrow."
16-year-old Habiba Mohamed, the defending
champion and top seed with a record four titles in her sights, saw off a
spirited challenge from Colombian Laura Tovar, but second seed
Nouran Gohar dropped her first game of the tournament as she beat
New Zealand's Eleanor Epke.
Salma Hany Ibrahim was
taken the full distance and had to fight back in the decider to get past
compatriot Mayar Hany 4-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-6, 11-8 in 65
minutes.
"That was so tough, she was playing so well," admitted
the 3/4 seed from Alexandria. "I was 2/1 down and 4-0 down - I'm just so
relieved I was able to pull myself together in the fifth to get
through."
Choi Uen Shan became the
lowest-seeded player to make the last eight - and the first Hong Kong
player to reach the quarter-finals since 2007 - when she stopped US
giant-killer Kayley Leonard 12-10, 5-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-9 in 45
minutes. Unseeded Leonard had upset top Belgian junior Tinne Gilis,
a 5/8 seed, in the second round.
Favourite Diego Elias cruised into the men's
quarter-finals after despatching unheralded US opponent Timothy
Brownell (both pictured above) 11-3, 11-3, 11-5 in 27 minutes. The
Peruvian star, aiming for a second title in a row, will now take on
Pakistani Israr Ahmed.
Lahore-based Asim Khan became the only unseeded
player to make the last eight after ending the run of Englishman
Charlie Lee, the 17-year-old who caused the event's earliest upset
by ousting 3/4 seed Amr Arafa.
Khan's 's 11-8, 11-4, 11-2 victory over Lee sees the
18-year-old world No.171 face rising Malaysian star Eain Yow Ng.
The 5/8 seed from Kuala Lumpur needed all five games to get past
Jordan's Mohammad Alsarraj, a 9/16 seed, 11-6, 11-9, 11-13,
10-12, 11-6 in 61 minutes.
"I'm so relieved to win that," said world No.160 Ng.
"It was much harder than I wanted when I was leading 2/0 and 10-8! I
lost a bit of focus. He came back well, he had a five-setter this
morning and not much rest, he did everything he could.
"In last year's worlds I was leading 2/0 and lost in
five so that was in my mind, I didn't want that to happen again so I'm
glad I managed to take that fifth."
18-year-old Tayyab Aslam, the only player
marking a fourth successive appearance in the men's event, reached the
last eight for the second year in a row after beating Ryunosuke
Tsukue, the unseeded 17-year-old from Yokohama who had become the
first Japanese player ever to make the men's last 16 round.
The 11-5, 11-9, 11-6 victory leads Aslam (pictured
above with Tsukue) to face Egypt's Saadeldin Abouaish for a place
in the semi-finals. The 5/8 seed beat Finland's Miko Äijänen
11-7, 11-6, 12-10.
RESULTS: WSF World Junior Squash Championships,
Eindhoven, Netherlands
Men's 3rd round:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bt Adrien Grondin (FRA) 11-6, 11-2,
11-2 (21m) Timothy Brownell (USA) bt [9/16] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI)
10-12, 11-5, 11-3, 8-11, 11-9 (72m)
[9/16] Youssef Ibrahim Abdallah (EGY) bt Luke Jones (NZL)
14-12, 11-7, 11-2 (23m)
[5/8] Israr Ahmed (PAK) bt Kyle Finch (ENG) 12-10, 8-11,
11-4, 11-9 (54m)
[5/8] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Tobias Weggen (GER) 11-2, 11-4,
11-7 (23m)
[9/16] Mohammad Alsarraj (JOR) bt Velavan Senthilkumar (IND)
5-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-13, 11-5 (63m) Asim Khan (PAK) bt Gabriel Morgan (USA) 11-3, 8-11, 11-9,
11-3 (51m) Charlie Lee (ENG) bt Ali Ahmad Aber (KUW) 11-4, 11-2, 11-1
(14m)
[3/4] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt Yannik Omlor (GER) 11-3,
11-7, 11-4 (30m) Balázs Farkas (HUN) bt [9/16] Benjamin Aubert (FRA) 11-1,
8-11, 11-1, 11-7 (45m) Sam Ejtemai (AUS) bt [9/16] Adham Madi (EGY) 11-6, 13-11,
6-11, 13-11
[5/8] Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt Enzo Corigliano (FRA) 11-6,
16-14 ret. (28m)
[5/8] Saadeldin Abouaish (EGY) bt Dominik Dubsky (CZE)
11-2, 11-5, 11-9 (25m) Miko Äijänen (FIN) bt [9/16] James Peach (ENG) 11-9, 7-11,
11-5, 14-12 (52m) Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt Victor Crouin (FRA) 11-9, 11-1,
11-2 (31m)
[2] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bt Syed Azlan Amjad (QAT) 10-12,
11-3, 11-6, 11-7 (43m)
4th round:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bt Timothy Brownell (USA) 11-3,
11-3, 11-5 (27m)
[5/8] Israr Ahmed (PAK) bt [9/16] Youssef Ibrahim Abdallah
(EGY) 1-11, 11-8, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4 (73m)
[5/8] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt [9/16] Mohammad Alsarraj (JOR)
11-6, 11-9, 11-13, 10-12, 11-6 (61m) Asim Khan (PAK) bt Charlie Lee (ENG) 11-8, 11-4, 11-2
(38m)
[3/4] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt Balázs Farkas (HUN) 11-4,
11-5, 11-6 (37m)
[5/8] Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt Sam Ejtemai (AUS) 11-4,
11-8, 11-5 (51m)
[5/8] Saadeldin Abouaish (EGY) bt Miko Äijänen (FIN) 11-7,
11-6, 12-10 (34m)
[2] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bt Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) 11-5,
11-9, 11-6 (27m)
After 100 matches and two rounds of action in the 2015
WSF World Junior Individual Squash Championships in the
Netherlands, it was USA's Kayley Leonard and Englishman
Charlie Lee who emerged as the biggest heroes of day at the
Squashtime Centre in Eindhoven.
Lee, the English U17 champion, produced the biggest
win of his life when he dismissed Egypt's Amr Arafa, a 3/4 seed,
11-5, 6-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-9 in 69 minutes.
"I knew I wasn't favourite but I really believed in
myself before the match," 17-year-old Lee said later. "In the games I
lost, my length wasn't good enough - but managed to get it back for the
next games and kept him behind me which was very important.
"It's great to win, but I have to carry that forward
now," added the 17-year-old from Walton-on-Thames.
It was in the women's event that 18-year-old Leonard
upset top Belgian junior Tinne Gilis, winner of the recent
Pioneer Junior Cup. The US youngster pulled away from eight-all in
the fifth game to clinch the match 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 after 55
minutes.
"That was a really tough one, especially the fifth,"
said Leonard. "I was 8-3 up and then it was eight-all, and it was really
tight at the end. I knew I was the underdog, so I had to put all my
strength out there, and I'm so pleased to win."
Peruvian Diego Elias and Egyptian Habiba
Mohamed, both seeded to retain their titles, had comfortable second
round wins after byes in the first round.
Elias cruised to an 11-4, 11-1, 11-3 victory in 22
minutes over South African Jean-Pierre van der Merwe and will now
face France's Adrien Grondin for a place in the last 16.
16-year-old Mohamed dismissed home hope Suzanne
Peters 11-2, 11-2, 11-5 and will now line up against New Zealander
Kaitlyn Watts for a place in the fourth round.
RESULTS: WSF World Junior Squash Championships,
Eindhoven, Netherlands
Men's 1st round: Jean-Pierre van der Merwe (RSA) bt Sajad Zareian (IRI) w/o Bart Horstman (NED) bt Yvi Roggen (BEL) 11-4, 12-10, 11-6
(20m) Tor Christoffersen (SWE) bt Matias Knudsen (COL) 12-10,
11-4, 11-3 (20m) Thijs Roukens (NED) bt Yanick Buric (CZE) w/o Aishwary Singh (IND) bt Nilo Vidal (ESP) w/o Mohammad Ali (KUW) bt Abdullahi Alhaji Musa (NGR) w/o Christoph Zust (SUI) bt Filip Kocárek (CZE) 11-5, 11-1,
11-7 Justin Wesson (RSA) bt Mohammad Alterki (KUW) w/o Bradley Masters (ENG) bt Juan Laguna (COL) 11-6, 11-6,
11-8 Gabriel Morgan (USA) bt Nicholas Goth-Errington (SWE)
11-1, 11-2, 11-6 Jorge Gomez (MEX) bt Mathias Grondin (FRA) 12-14, 11-1,
11-5, 11-2 Charlie Lee (ENG) bt Abdulwahab Al-Ishaq (QAT) w/o Abbas Shoukat (PAK) bt Dmytro Pogrebnyak (UKR) 11-4, 11-8,
11-7 Roman Allinckx (SUI) bt Amirhossein Feizpour (IRI) w/o Vikas Mehra (IND) bt Eissa Mohammad (KUW) 11-5, 13-11,
9-11, 11-9 (35m) Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) bt John Henryz (SWE) 11-5, 11-6,
11-4 Santiago Orozco (COL) bt Jan Kurzmeyer (SUI) 11-3, 11-7,
11-6 Adithya Raghavan (IND) bt Thijs van der Pluijm (NED) 11-6,
11-3, 11-3 Sean Hughes (USA) bt Sanjay Jeeva (BEL) 11-7, 11-9, 14-12 Filip Hultman (SWE) bt Alireza Shameli (IRI) w/o Amadeo Costa (SUI) bt Casper Kloster Skaarenborg (DEN)
11-3, 11-6, 11-3 (25m) Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt Khaled Al-Jenaidel (KUW) 11-8,
11-5, 11-6 Victor Crouin (FRA) bt Olamilekan Sunday Oyewole (NGR) w/o Spencer Lovejoy (USA) bt Anton Larsson (SWE) 11-7, 11-1,
11-3 (37m)
2nd round:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bt Jean-Pierre van der Merwe (RSA)
11-4, 11-1, 11-3 (22m) Adrien Grondin (FRA) bt Umair Zaman (QAT) 11-7, 14-12,
11-4 (32m) Timothy Brownell (USA) bt Bart Horstman (NED) 11-4, 11-2,
11-4 (33m)
[9/16] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bt Tor Christoffersen (SWE)
8-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7 (53m)
[9/16] Youssef Ibrahim Abdallah (EGY) bt Thijs Roukens
(NED) 11-4, 11-5, 11-5 (20m) Luke Jones (NZL) bt Aishwary Singh (IND) 11-8, 11-8, 11-7
(27m) Kyle Finch (ENG) bt Theis Houlberg (DEN) 11-8, 11-7, 11-3
[5/8] Israr Ahmed (PAK) bt Mohammad Ali (KUW) 11-3, 11-1,
11-3 (12m)
[5/8] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt Christoph Zust (SUI) 11-4,
11-1, 11-5 (36m) Tobias Weggen (GER) bt Tess Jutte (NED) 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) bt Justin Wesson (RSA) 16-14,
11-3, 11-4 (29m)
[9/16] Mohammad Alsarraj (JOR) bt Bradley Masters (ENG)
5-11, 17-15, 11-8, 11-4 (50m) Gabriel Morgan (USA) bt [9/16] Solayman Nowrozi (AUS)
8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 16-14 (75m) Asim Khan (PAK) bt Jorge Gomez (MEX) 11-9, 11-7, 11-6
(42m) Ali Ahmad Aber (KUW) bt Mohammad Reza Jafarzadeh (IRI) w/o Charlie Lee (ENG) bt [3/4] Amr Arafa (EGY) 11-5, 6-11,
11-6, 10-12, 11-9 (69m)
[3/4] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt Abbas Shoukat (PAK) 9-11,
11-6, 11-4, 11-5 (50m) Yannik Omlor (GER) bt Cedric de Vos (BEL) 11-7, 11-5, 11-3
(20m) Balázs Farkas (HUN) bt Roman Allinckx (SUI) 11-5, 11-6,
11-2 (32m)
[9/16] Benjamin Aubert (FRA) bt Vikas Mehra (IND) 11-4,
9-11, 11-2, 11-9 (41m)
[9/16] Adham Madi (EGY) bt Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) 13-11,
11-5, 11-5 (32m) Sam Ejtemai (AUS) bt Santiago Orozco (COL) 11-2, 11-6,
11-1 (24m) Enzo Corigliano (FRA) bt Max Reed (USA) 6-11, 11-9, 14-12,
11-8
[5/8] Patrick Rooney (ENG) bt Adithya Raghavan (IND) 11-5,
11-7, 11-5 (18m)
[5/8] Saadeldin Abouaish (EGY) bt Sean Hughes (USA) 11-6,
11-7, 11-4 (30m) Dominik Dubsky (CZE) bt Donny van Hal (NED) 6-11, 11-8,
9-11, 11-5, 11-7 (51m) Miko Äijänen (FIN) bt Filip Hultman (SWE) 11-4, 11-6,
5-11, 11-8 (44m)
[9/16] James Peach (ENG) bt Amadeo Costa (SUI) 11-4, 11-4,
11-3 (38m) Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt [9/16] Sandeep Ramachandran (IND)
9-11, 11-6, 9-11, 13-11, 11-2 (51m) Victor Crouin (FRA) bt Ahsan Ayaz (PAK) 8-11, 15-13, 11-4,
12-10 (72m) Syed Azlan Amjad (QAT) bt Ronald Palomino (COL) 6-11,
7-11, 20-18, 11-7, 11-4 (53m)
[2] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bt Spencer Lovejoy (USA) 11-8,
11-9, 11-9 (32m)
Peruvian Diego Elias and Egyptian Habiba Mohamed
will begin their bids to retain their world squash titles when the 2015
World Junior Individual Squash Championships get underway
in Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
More than 170 teenagers from 34 nations will compete in the
World Squash Federation event at the 15-court Squashtime Centre
from 26-30 July.
Elias made history a year ago in Namibia when he became Peru's
first world squash champion after breezing through the 2014 World Junior
Championship field without dropping game. The 18-year-old from Lima has
already made his mark on the PSA World Tour where he has achieved
a career-high world No.43 ranking after picking up three titles.
Earlier this month in Toronto, Elias confounded the draw in the
Pan American Games squash event by winning the silver medal -
becoming the youngest player ever to reach the final.
Top seed Elias begins his 2015 campaign with a second round match
against South African Jean-Pierre van der Merwe.
Alexandria-born Habiba Mohamed has a formidable world
record in her sights as she bids to win the women's world junior title
for the second time - aged just 16!
Already ranked in the world top 20 - and the youngest ever winner
of a WSA World Tour title at the age of 14 years and five months
- Mohamed could become the first ever four-time winner of the world
junior title.
Favourite Mohamed gets her 2015 campaign underway with a second
round match against home hope Suzanne Peters.
Men's World Individual Championship 1st round draw:
From 34 countries
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bye
Jean-Pierre van der Merwe (RSA) bt Sajad Zareian (IRI) w/o
Adrien Grondin (FRA) bye
Umair Zaman (QAT) bye
Timothy Brownell (USA) bye
Bart Horstman (NED) v Yvi Roggen (BEL)
Matias Knudsen (COL) v Tor Christoffersen (SWE)
[9/16] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) bye
[9/16] Youssef Ibrahim Abdallah (EGY) bye
Thijs Roukens (NED) bt Yanick Buric (CZE) w/o
Aishwary Singh (IND) v Nilo Vidal (ESP)
Luke Jones (NZL) bye
Kyle Finch (ENG) bye
Theis Houlberg (DEN) bye
Abdullahi Alhaji Musa (NGR) v Mohammad Ali (KUW)
[5/8] Israr Ahmed (PAK) bye
[5/8] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bye
Christoph Zust (SUI) v Filip Kocárek (CZE)
Tobias Weggen (GER) bye
Tess Jutte (NED) bye
Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) bye
Justin Wesson (RSA) bt Mohammad Alterki (KUW) w/o
Juan Laguna (COL) v Bradley Masters (ENG)
[9/16] Mohammad Alsarraj (JOR) bye
[9/16] Solayman Nowrozi (AUS) bye
Nicholas Goth-Errington (SWE) v Gabriel Morgan (USA)
Mathias Grondin (FRA) v Jorge Gomez (MEX)
Asim Khan (PAK) bye
Ali Ahmad Aber (KUW) bye
Mohammad Reza Jafarzadeh (IRI) bye
Abdulwahab Al-Ishaq (QAT) v Charlie Lee (ENG)
[3/4] Amr Arafa (EGY) bye
[3/4] Youssef Soliman (EGY) bye
Dmytro Pogrebnyak (UKR) v Abbas Shoukat (PAK)
Yannik Omlor (GER) bye
Cedric de Vos (BEL) bye
Balázs Farkas (HUN) bye
Roman Allinckx (SUI) bt Amirhossein Feizpour (IRI) w/o
Vikas Mehra (IND) v Eissa Mohammad (KUW)
[9/16] Benjamin Aubert (FRA) bye
[9/16] Adham Madi (EGY) bye
John Henryz (SWE) v Dewald van Niekerk (RSA)
Jan Kurzmeyer (SUI) v Santiago Orozco (COL)
Sam Ejtemai (AUS) bye
Enzo Corigliano (FRA) bye
Max Reed (USA) bye
Thijs van der Pluijm (NED) v Adithya Raghavan (IND)
[5/8] Patrick Rooney (ENG) bye
[5/8] Saadeldin Abouaish (EGY) bye
Sean Hughes (USA) v Sanjay Jeeva (BEL)
Donny van Hal (NED) bye
Dominik Dubsky (CZE) bye
Miko Äijänen (FIN) bye
Filip Hultman (SWE) bt Alireza Shameli (IRI) w/o
Amadeo Costa (SUI) v Casper Kloster Skaarenborg (DEN)
[9/16] James Peach (ENG) bye
[9/16] Sandeep Ramachandran (IND) bye
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) v Khaled Al-Jenaidel (KUW)
Olamilekan Sunday Oyewole (NGR) v Victor Crouin (FRA)
Ahsan Ayaz (PAK) bye
Syed Azlan Amjad (QAT) bye
Ronald Palomino (COL) bye
Spencer Lovejoy (USA) v Anton Larsson (SWE)
[2] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bye
Women's World Individual Championship 1st round draw:
[1] Habiba Mohamed (EGY) bye
Suzanne Peters (NED) bt Sogol Samoodi (IRI) w/o
Sarah Mekhalfi (FRA) bye
Kaitlyn Watts (NZL) bye
Laura Tovar (COL) bye
Sunayna Kuruvilla (IND) v Victoria Leow (AUS)
Eleonore Evans (USA) v Lui Hiu Lam Bubble (HKG)
[9/16] Chloe Chemtob (CAN) bye
[9/16] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) bye
Saskia Beinhard (GER) v Daniek Krukkert (NED)
Carley Barton (ZIM) v Casey Wong (USA)
Celine Walser (SUI) bye
Riina Koskinen (FIN) bye
Eliška Jirásková (CZE) v Inge Coetzee (RSA)
Kato Verwilt (BEL) v Jui Kalgutkar (IND)
[5/8] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bye
[5/8] Sabrina Sobhy (USA) bye
Tara Shannon (CAN) v Faith Sithole (RSA)
Lauren Clarke (NZL) bye
Zoe Foo Yuk Han (MAS) bye
Andrea Lee (MAS) bye
Henrietta Huuhka (FIN) v Samantha Calvert (AUS)
Elin Harlow (WAL) v Sunday Veronica (NGR)
[9/16] Amelia Henley (ENG) bye
[9/16] Mayar Hany (EGY) bye
Juee Bhide (NZL) v Maddie O'Connor (CAN)
Elena Wagenmans (NED) v Maria Fernanda Rivera (MEX)
Cindy Merlo (SUI) bye
Ho Ka Wing (HKG) bye
Adya Advani (IND) bye
Lucy Turmel (ENG) v Elise Romba (FRA)
[3/4] Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) bye
[3/4] Mariam Metwally (EGY) bye
Shannon O'Donovan (ZIM) v Sarah Ludin (SUI)
Mariska Wiese (RSA) bye
Ailee Nayeri (IRI) bye
Harshit Jawanda (IND) bye
Nadia Hubbard (NZL) v Fleur Maas (NED)
Grace Thomas (CAN) v Julie Rossignol (FRA)
[9/16] Reeham Sedky (USA) bye
[9/16] Lakeesha Rarere (AUS) bye
Sara Vallejo (COL) v Nea Falck (FIN)
Laura Paquemar (FRA) v Juliette Permentier (NED)
Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bye
Nazihah Hanis (MAS) bye
Nikita Joshi (IND) v Annika Engstrom (SWE)
Nele Hatschek (GER) v Cheng Nga Ching (HKG)
[5/8] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bye
[5/8] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bye
Kayley Leonard (USA) bye
Sophie Mehta (CAN) v Marija Shpakova (SUI)
Lowri Roberts (WAL) bye
Abbie Palmer (NZL) bye
Titiloayo Akinyele (NGR) v Lauren Aspinall (AUS)
Akanksha Salunkhe (IND) v Kuzivakwashe Madungwe (ZIM)
[9/16] Choi Uen Shan (HKG) bye
[9/16] Eleanor Epke (NZL) bye
Maarit Ekholm (FIN) v Christine Christoffersen (DEN)
Cassey Preece (RSA) v Mari Taylor (ENG)
Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bye
Sanne Veldkamp (NED) bye
Laura Gamblin (FRA) bye
Rachael Gibson (AUS) v Haley Scott (USA)
[2] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bye
Preview
Diego Elias & Habiba Mohamed Seeded To Retain World
Junior Titles
This year's titles will be shared by Peru and Egypt according to
the men's and women's draws published today by the World Squash
Federation - with Lima-based Diego Elias and Alexandria-born Habiba
Mohamed expected to retain the titles they won for the first time last
year in Namibia.
The WSF World Junior Championships 2015, comprising men's and women's
under 19 age individual events followed by the biennial junior women's
team event, will be staged at the 15-court Squashtime Centre in
Eindhoven in the Netherlands - the individual championships from 26-30
July, followed by the Women's Team Championship from 31 July to 4
August.
Elias made history in 2014 by becoming the sport's first world champion
from Peru. The 18-year-old has gone on to pick up three titles on the
PSA World Tour and now boasts a career-high world ranking of 46.
The Peruvian is expected to meet Egypt's All-Africa Junior champion Amr
Arafa in the semi-finals before a final clash with Tayyab Aslam, the
No.2 seed from Lahore who is bidding to become the event's first winner
from Pakistan since the legendary Jansher Khan in 1986.
The draw for the women's championship predicts an all-Egyptian
semi-final line-up for the third year in a row - with 16-year-old world
No.18 Habiba Mohamed expected to face Cairo-based compatriot Nouran
Gohar, the 17-year-old second seed, in a repeat of the 2014 final.
Both Mariam Metwally, a 3/4 seed from Egypt, and Sabrina Sobhy, a 5/8
seed from the USA, are celebrating fifth successive appearances in the
championship. Metwally, an 18-year-old from Alexandria, has made at
least the quarter-finals in all her previous outings and was runner-up
in Poland in 2013 - while New Yorker Sobhy, sister of 2010 champion
Amanda Sobhy, will hoping to make the quarter-finals for the third time
in a row.
