28-Aug:
Final:
Egypt bt Australia
Omneya Abdel Kawy bt Kasey Brown
9-0, 9-0, 9-0 (24m)
Sara Badr bt Donna Urquhart
9-6, 9-6, 9-4 (39m)
Raneem El Weileily bt Georgina Davis
9-0, 9-2 (11m)
Full 1-8 stage results
Egypt Celebrate Stunning
World Junior Title Win
Hosts and top seeds Egypt provided a fitting climax to the Women's
World Junior Team Squash Championships by crushing Australia 3-0 in the
final at the Cairo Stadium to demonstrate indisputably the country's
supremacy in women's junior squash.
The victory followed the crowning of squad No1 Omneya Abdel Kawy as World
Junior Individual champion last week - and the remarkable 18-year-old from
Cairo, ranked 12 in the senior women's world rankings, went on to lead the
national team in all of their matches through to the final against
surprise opponents Australia, the third seeds.
Sara Badr put Egypt into the lead in the final with a 9-6 9-4 9-4 win in
39 minutes over Australia's No2 Donna Urquhart. It then remained for
national heroine Omneya Abdel Kawy to thrill the partisan crowds
surrounding the refurbished Cairo Stadium all-glass court by whitewashing
Australia's No1 Kasey Brown 9-0 9-0 9-0 in just 24 minutes to clinch the
title for Egypt in dramatic style.
Whilst seemingly one-sided, it was this match that was expected to be the
world individual final, but illness led to second-seeded Brown exiting the
event at the last sixteen stage.
Egypt claimed maximum points when third string Raneem El Weleily beat
Australia's Georgina Davis 9-0 9-2 in the 11-minute best-of-three dead
rubber.
"This win is very important for women's squash here in Egypt as it will
increase the number of junior girls that play the game," said Dr Samiha
Aboulmagd, the 'godmother of women's squash in Egypt' who has played a
leading role of
the development of the sport in the country. "The development of women's
squash started 10 years ago when the Egyptian junior team won third place
in their first ever show in a world event, when they were unseeded. Now we
have world junior champions, but we need to have more girls to play the
game so that we
can sustain this level of squash," added the former national champion.
Egyptian coach Ahmed Taher was very happy with the result and with the
performance of the girls, who did even better than his expectations. "The
difficult part was to choose the team as I had to choose four out of six
and as they
were all very close to each other it was difficult as they were all eager
to be in the team," said Taher of the six Egyptians who made it through to
the quarter-finals of the individual championship. "Three of the girls -
Sara Badr,
Nihal Yehia and Ranim El Weleily - are going to play in the next world
championships as they are still 16 years old. Naturally I hope we can win
the title again - that would be another great achievement for Egyptian
women's squash."
Mohamed El Menshawi, Chairman of the Egyptian Squash Federation, said that
it
mattered so much that Egypt won this event "as we are in our country and
this event is under the auspices of the first lady Mrs Mubarak. We are now
sure that the authorities and the minister of youth will give extra
support to women's squash, at junior and senior level," said El Menshawi.
In the play-off for third place, defending champions England fought back
from a match down to beat fourth seeds India 2-1. With two squad members
(Emma Beddoes and Lauren Siddall) injured, England brought 15-year-old
Rachel Willmott into the squad. After England No1 Suzie Pierrepont
levelled the tie by
beating India's Joshna Chinappa 9-3 9-4 10-8 in 27 minutes, Willmott -
believed to be the youngest player ever to represent England in the
championship - belied her inexperience in the decisive third match to beat
Supriya Balsekar 9-3 9-0 9-1 in 21 minutes to give England third place.
However, while India were celebrating their best ever finish in the event,
it was five-times champions England's worst for ten years.
In the other play-off ties, Hong Kong beat USA 2-1 to finish in 7th place
- their highest ever placing in five appearances in the championships.
27-Aug:
Aussies shock
England in semis
Egypt bt India
3-0
Omneya Abdel Kawy bt Vaidehi Reddy
9-7, 9-2, 9-0 (19m)
Sara Badr bt Supriya Balsekar
9-0, 9-0, 9-2 (17m)
Raneem El Weleily bt Alisha Mashruwala
9-2, 9-1 (8m)
Australia bt England 3-0
Kasey Brown bt Susie Pierrepont
9-7, 2-9, 8-10, 9-4, 9-7 (78m)
Donna Urqhuart bt Emma Beddoes
10-8, 9-4, 5-9, 9-2 (38m)
Georgina Davis bt Lauren Siddall
9-2 rtd (6m)
Top seeds Egypt will face Australia
in the finals of the Women's World Junior Team Squash Championships after
the favourites overcame India 3-0 and third seeds Australia crushed second
seeds England 3-0 to consign the title-holders to the play-off for third
place for only the second time in the event's 18-year history.
Five-times champions England got off to a bad start when Australia's
second string Donna Urquhart beat England No2 Emma Beddoes 10-8 9-4 5-9
9-2 in 32 minutes. It was the second upset for Beddoes who also failed to
reach her anticipated quarter-final berth in the earlier individual event.
The second match was a rollercoaster affair between Australia's Kasey
Brown and England's Suzie Pierrepont. Both players had failed to live up
to their seeded expectations in the world individual event due to illness
- the second-seeded Australian and 3/4 seed Pierrepont crashing out at the
last sixteen stage. Pierrepont, the European Junior Champion, squandered a
2-1 lead as Kasey's fighting spirit ultimately clinched the match 9-7 2-9
8-10 9-4 9-7. The battle lasted a remarkable 78 minutes and took
three-times winners Australia into their first final since winning the
title on home soil in 1995.
England, who only failed to reach the final in Malaysia in 1993 when they
finished in fourth place, were unable to gain a consolation point in the
dead rubber. Lauren Siddall, the defending champions' sole representative
in the individual quarter-finals, retired injured after the first game to
give Australia's Georgina Davis victory after just six minutes.
Fourth seeds India's brave run in their first ever appearance in the
semi-finals came to an expected end against hot favourites Egypt. The
hosts, led for the fifth successive time in the team event by
newly-crowned World Champion Omneya Abdel Kawy, cruised to a 3-0 win as
Sara Badr, Kawy and Raneem El Weleily conceded just 14 points in their
straight games wins over Supriya Balsekar, Vaidehi Reddy and Alisha
Mashruwala, respectively.
Full 1-8 stage results
|
The Egyptian team
Qualifying round results:
Pool A:
[1] EGYPT bt [8] NEW ZEALAND 3-0 (Sara Badr bt Joelle King 9-4, 9-3, 9-7
(26m); Omneya Abdel Kawy bt Priscilla Wildsmith 9-0, 9-2, 9-1 (19m);
Raneem El Weleily bt Catherine McDonald 9-4, 9-0, 9-2 (19m))
[9] HONG KONG bt [16] SWITZERLAND 3-0 (Ka Kei Chiu bt Julia Schmalz 9-3,
9-2, 9-2 (18m); Ho Ling Joey Chan bt Corinne Scarlato 9-3, 9-2, 9-1; Annie
Au Wing Chi bt Vanessa Isola 9-0, 9-5, 9-2 (18m))
[1] EGYPT bt [16] SWITZERLAND 3-0 (Sara Badr bt Julia Schmalz 9-1, 9-1,
9-0 (14m); Omneya Abdel Kawy bt Corinne Scarlato 9-1, 9-0, 9-0 (13m);
Raneem El Weleily bt Vanessa Isola 9-3, 9-1, 9-0 (13m))
[9] HONG KONG bt [8] NEW ZEALAND 2-1 (Ka Kei Chiu bt Priscilla Wildsmith
10-8, 9-1, 10-8 (33m); Ho Ling Joey Chan lost to Catherine McLeod 9-7,
7-9, 1-9, 3-9 (44m); Annie Au Wing Chi bt Joelle King 9-6, 9-2, 9-1 (24m))
[1] EGYPT bt [9] HONG KONG 3-0 (Amnah El Trabolsy bt Annie Au Wing Chi
9-4, 9-7, 9-7 (30m); Omneya Abdel Kawy bt Ka Kei Chiu 9-0, 9-0, 9-1 (16m);
Sara Badr bt Shin Nga Leung 9-0, 9-1, 9-1 (11m))
[8] NEW ZEALAND bt [16] SWITZERLAND 3-0 (Priscilla Wildsmith bt Julia
Schmalz 9-5, 4-9, 9-5, 9-2 (35m); Catherine McLeod bt Corinne Scarlato
9-2, 9-0, 9-1 (16m); Joelle King bt Vanessa Isola 9-4, 9-2, 9-1 (24m))
Final positions; 1 Egypt, 2 Hong Kong, 3 New Zealand, 4 Switzerland
Pool B:
[10] USA bt [15] MEXICO 3-0 (Lauren McCrery bt Laura Garza 9-0, 9-1, 9-1
(22m); Lily Lorentzen bt Imelda Salazar 9-6, 9-0, 9-5 (24m); Audrey Duboc
bt Sarycarmen Diaz 9-4, 9-3, 9-5 (27m))
[2] ENGLAND bt [7] SPAIN 3-0 (Emma Beddoes bt Estela Carbonell 9-2, 9-1,
9-4 (25m); Suzie Pierrepont bt Margaux Moros 9-3, 4-9, 9-6, 9-4 (42m);
Kirsty McPhee bt Chantal Moros 9-4, 9-1, 9-3 (26m))
[2] ENGLAND bt [15] MEXICO 3-0 (Lauren Siddall bt Nayelli Hernandez 9-2,
9-4, 9-3 (25m); Suzie Pierrepont bt Laura Garza 9-0, 9-0, 9-1 (14m);
Kirsty McPhee bt Sarycarmen Diaz 9-2, 9-2, 9-1 (23m))
[10] USA bt [7] SPAIN 2-1 (Claire Rein-Weston lost to Estela Carbonell
7-9, 1-9, 10-8, 9-3, 4-9 (56m); Lily Lorentzen bt Margaux Moros 6-9, 9-5,
9-7, 9-2 (41m); Audrey Duboc bt Chantal Moros 1-9, 9-2, 9-5, 8-10, 9-2
(65m))
[7] SPAIN bt [15] MEXICO 3-0 (Estela Carbonell bt Laura Garza 9-6, 9-2,
9-0 (17m); Margaux Moros bt Imelda Salazar 9-1, 9-1, 9-1 (17m); Chantal
Moros bt Nayelli Hernandez 9-2, 9-3, 9-1 (25m))
[2] ENGLAND bt [10] USA 3-0 (Emma Beddoes bt Claire Rein-Weston 4-9, 9-2,
10-9, 9-3 (48m); Suzie Pierrepont bt Lauren McCrery 9-1, 9-4, 9-2 (28m);
Lauren Siddall bt Audrey Duboc 9-7, 9-0, 9-4 (29m))
Final positions; 1 England, 2 USA, 3 Spain, 4 Mexico
Pool C:
[3] AUSTRALIA bt [6] MALAYSIA 3-0 (Donna Urquhart bt Sally Looi 9-3, 9-3,
9-6 (25m); Kasey Brown bt Lim Yoke Wah 9-3, 9-4, 9-2 (38m); Peta Hughes bt
Delia Arnold 1-9, 9-8, 9-6, 9-3 (33m))
[11] SCOTLAND bt [14] IRELAND 2-1 (Kirsty Craig bt Claire O'Brien 9-4,
2-9, 10-8, 9-1 (34m); Lauren Gray lost to Zoe Barr 9-4, 6-9, 6-9, 4-9
(43m); Claire Kidd bt Katie Wilson 9-6, 9-3, 6-9, 9-4 (26m))
[3] AUSTRALIA bt [14] IRELAND 3-0 (Peta Hughes bt Claire O'Brien 9-3, 9-0,
9-2 (21m); Kasey Brown bt Zoe Barr 9-1, 9-2, 9-0 (24m); Georgina Davis bt
Katie Wilson 9-2, 9-0, 9-4 (16m))
[6] MALAYSIA bt [11] SCOTLAND 3-0 (Sally Looi bt Kirsty Craig 9-3, 9-3,
9-7 (27m); Lim Yoke Wah bt Lauren Gray 9-7, 9-3, 9-1 (23m); Delia Arnold
bt Claire Kidd 9-3, 9-3, 9-5 (18m))
[3] AUSTRALIA bt [11] SCOTLAND 3-0 (Donna Urquhart bt Kirsty Craig 9-2,
9-6, 9-0 (16m); Kasey Brown bt Lauren Gray 9-2, 9-2, 9-6 (26m); Georgina
Davis bt 9-3, 9-5, 9-0 (22m))
[6] MALAYSIA bt [14] IRELAND 3-0 (Sally Looi bt Claire O'Brien 9-1, 9-0,
9-3 (22m); Lim Yoke Wah bt Zoe Barr 9-3, 9-2, 9-5 (28m); Delia Arnold bt
Aoife Kerrin 9-2, 9-4, 9-2 (27m))
Final positions; 1 Australia, 2 Malaysia, 3 Scotland, 4 Ireland
Pool D:
[4] INDIA bt [5] CANADA 2-1 (Vaidehi Reddy bt Miranda Ranieri 9-1, 9-4,
9-6 (33m); Joshna Chinappa bt Jennifer Blumberg 9-7, 9-3, 9-2 (26m);
Supriya Balsekar lost to Lauren Polonich 9-7, 5-9, 4-9, 10-8, 8-10 (63m))
[13] WALES bt [12] GERMANY 2-1 (Jessica Bevan bt Pamela Hathway 10-8, 2-9,
9-10, 9-5, 9-4 (56m); Stacey Preece lost to Pia Kaindl 5-9, 5-9, 9-4, 5-9
(38m); Beth Winstanley bt Sandra Krueger 9-7, 9-2, 9-3 (30m))
[5] CANADA bt [12] GERMANY 3-0 (Miranda Ranieri bt Pamela Hathway 9-2,
9-6, 9-2 (19m); Jennifer Blumberg bt Pia Kaindl 9-5, 9-1, 9-6 (29m);
Lauren Polonich bt Sandra Krueger 9-7, 9-5, 9-4 (35m))
[4] INDIA bt [13] WALES 3-0 (Vaidehi Reddy bt Jessica Bevan 9-4, 9-4, 9-1
(21m); Joshna Chinappa bt Stacey Preece 9-5, 9-3, 4-9, 6-9, 9-1 (41m);
Supriya Balsekar bt Beth Winstanley 3-9, 9-6, 9-0, 9-5 (33m))
[4] INDIA bt [12] GERMANY 3-0 (Vaidehi Reddy bt Pamela Hathway 9-5, 9-3,
9-4 (30m); Joshna Chinappa bt Pia Kaindl 9-2, 9-2, 9-6 (30m); Supriya
Balsekar bt Sandra Krueger 9-1, 4-9, 9-6, 9-6 (30m))
[5] CANADA bt [13] WALES 3-0 (Ashley Clackson bt Jessica Bevan 8-10, 9-3,
9-0, 9-1 (54m); Miranda Ranieri bt Stacey Preece 2-9, 3-9, 9-2, 9-5, 9-7
(47m); Lauren Polonich bt Beth Winstanley 9-2, 9-3, 9-4 (23m))
Final positions; 1 India, 2 Canada, 3 Wales, 4 Germany |
