24-Jul ~ 8-Aug, Antwerp, Belgium

Full Individual draws & results: 1~32 | 33~64 | 65~96 | 97~128

Egypt beat defending champs in final ...

Egypt beat defending champions England 2-1 in the final of the to claim the prestigious world title for first time.  The success crowned a glorious two weeks in Antwerp for the third-seeded team, which crushed hot favourites Malaysia in the semi-finals, and, against the seedings, provided three of the players in the quarter-finals of the individual world championship.

It was Egypt's first appearance in a women's world junior final, and England's record seventh. Third string Omneya Abdel Kawy, 13, again gave Egypt an early lead, with a 9/0 9/5 9/1 victory over England's Amina Helal. 
England regained the initiative as Vicky Lankester beat Engy Khairullah 9/7 9/2 9/0 in the battle between the top strings. 

For the second successive day it was left to the second strings to decide the issue - and Egypt's Iman El Amir survived a tense encounter 10/8 7/9 9/3 9/5 against England's Jenny Duncalf to claim the world title for her country.

Malaysia beat fifth seeds Australia in the play-off for third place - whilst the 'most improved' team were 10th seeds USA who beat Germany to win the play-off for 5th place.

Full results

Nicol Cruises to title ...

It took just half an hour for 15-year-old Malaysian schoolgirl Nicol David to confirm the world champion status that has been prophesied for her for many years - when she beat compatriot Siu Lynn Leong 9/5 9/3 9/2 in the final of the Women's World Junior Squash Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, to become the youngest ever winner of the title.

The remarkable youngster from Penang reached the quarter-finals of the previous World Junior Championships, in August 1997 in Brazil, as a thirteen-year-old - and his since claimed both the Asian junior and senior titles, as well as the gold medal in the Asian Games in December last year.

She swept through the Antwerp championships without conceding a single game, admitting afterwards:  "This is a great feeling - it hasn't sunk in yet, but I am just thrilled."  Her education is clearly still her immediate priority - "No, I don't think I will turn pro after this win," she told reporters.

David's win means that Malaysia now holds both World Junior Individual Squash titles, after Ong Beng Hee, from Kuala Lumpur, won the men's title in the USA a year ago. 

Action from today (Sunday) in Antwerp now centres on the Women's World Junior Team Championships.  Nicol David and third seed Siu Lynn Leong's individual success will give a considerable boost to Malaysia's chances of winning the title for the first time.  Malaysia are top seeds, behind defending champions England (2) and Egypt (3).
 

MALAYSIA BID FOR WOMEN'S WORLD JUNIOR DOUBLE

Nicol David, the remarkable 15-year-old schoolgirl from Penang, is expected to lead Malaysia to first-time success in both the individual and team events in the Women's World Junior Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, from 25 July to 7 August.

David, a quarter-finalist in the 1997 World Championships in Brazil when just 13, is top seed in the individual event which gets underway on Sunday 25 July. She is expected to meet England's Vicky Lankester, 18, from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, in the final on 31 July. 

Nicol David has taken the squash world by storm. Undefeated in the British Junior Open Championships since January 1996, she is currently the Asian junior and senior champion and Asian Games champion. Last month she claimed the biggest squash scalp of her life when she beat Australia's world No17 Liz Irving, more than twice her age, in the first round of the Kuala Lumpur Open in her home country.  She then overcame Dutch world No18 Vanessa Atkinson to reach the final where she lost to Australia's top seed Carol Owens. A week later, it was again the world No10 from Melbourne who halted her progress in the YTL Open in KL.

"I know that expectations are high on my team-mates and me to do well in the championships - but I am not feeling the pressure yet, I try not to think about it," said David to Malaysian reporters on her departure to Europe.

Malaysia has never before been represented in the individual women's world junior final - which has been dominated by England and Australia since the event's inception in 1981. The Antwerp climax, however, could be an all-Malaysian affair, with David's compatriot Siu Lynn Leong, the 18-year-old third seed, placed in the bottom half of the draw.

Sportcentre The Nick, Merksem
+32 (0) 3 646 99 79

Sportcentre RUCA, Antwerp
+32 (0) 230 14 18
rst@ruca.ua.ac.be

In the Team Championship defending champions England are seeded two behind favourites Malaysia. The biennial title has been won by only Australia (three times) and England (four times) since the first event in 1985 - Malaysia's highest finish being 3rd in 1997. 

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