Final:

[2] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt [1] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) 2-9, 9-3, 10-8, 9-4 (75m)

Semi-finals:

[1] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [5/8] Waqar Mehboob (PAK) 9-1, 9-1, 9-6 (40m)

[2] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt [3] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 9-7, 9-10, 9-4, 1-9, 9-5 (67m)

Quarter-finals:

[1] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [5/8] Andrew Wagih Shoukry (EGY) 9-1, 9-5, 9-0 (36m)

[5/8] Waqar Mehboob (PAK) bt [4] Gregoire Marche (FRA) 9-6, 8-10, 9-5, 9-0 (74m)

[3] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt [5/8] Adrian Waller (ENG) 9-5, 4-9, 9-3, 9-2 (58m)

[2] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt [9/16] Ivan Yuen (MAS) 9-3, 9-5, 9-1 (30m)

Mohamed El Shorbagy

El Shorbagy Wins World Junior Title

After despatching local hero Nicolas Mueller in a 67-marathon semi-final, second seed Mohamed El Shorbagy went on to upset Pakistan favourite Aamir Atlas Khan in the final of the World Junior Men's Squash Championship in Zurich to keep the prestigious title in Egyptian hands for the third successive time.

It was a dramatic climax to the 15th staging of the biennial World Squash Federation championship, being held for the first time in Switzerland.

Aamir Atlas Khan, a semi-finalist both in 2004 and 2006 - and, at No24, the highest-world-ranked player in the field - was firm favourite to win the title.  The 18-year-old had reached the final without dropping a game - and victory would have made him the first Pakistani to lift the title since his uncle, the legendary Jansher khan, in 1986.

But El Shorbagy was also hungry for success - and survived both his opponent and the naturally partisan crowd to topple Swiss star Nicolas Mueller in five games less than 24 hours earlier.

The 17-year-old from Alexandria, who celebrated a career-high world ranking of 60 today, dropped the first game for just two points - but powered back into the match before ultimately celebrating victory after 75 minutes in a 2-9, 9-3, 10-8, 9-4 scoreline.

"This is a very special moment," said the ecstatic teenager afterwards.  "I'm very happy to be here and share it with my mother and father.  I was 8-5 up in the third and had to make a big push.

"This was a once in a lifetime chance and I told myself to make a big push.

"The last two titles have been won by Egypt and there was a lot of pressure on me to win it," added El Shorbagy, who is based in the UK where he trains with British squash supreme Jonah Barrington.

"Aamir and I will probably have to play again in the team match - it will be another hard match and I need to go away and prepare mentally for it."

El Shorbagy follows the now 20-year-old world No4 Ramy Ashour as winner of the title - and is the latest in a distinguished line of former Egyptian champions including Ashour, Karim Darwish, Ahmed Faizy and the country's first winner, in 1994, Ahmed Barada.

Egypt are seeded to win the World Junior Team Championship which gets underway on 2nd August 2008. 

The complete final seedings, confirmed today, are:  1 EGYPT, 2 PAKISTAN, 3 ENGLAND, 4 FRANCE, 5 INDIA, 6 MALAYSIA, 7 GERMANY, 8 HONG KONG, 9 NEW ZEALAND, 10 CANADA, 11 AUSTRALIA, 12 USA, 13 SOUTH AFRICA, 14 SWITZERLAND, 15 KUWAIT, 16 WALES, - and, 17/24: FINLAND, CZECH REPUBLIC, DENMARK, BELGIUM, NETHERLANDS, GUATEMALA, SPAIN and SWEDEN; and 25/31: IRELAND, BERMUDA, CAYMAN ISLANDS, CHINA , ECUADOR, ITALY and VENEZUELA.

Atlas Khan & El Shorbagy To Contest World Junior Final

The final of the World Junior Men's Squash Championship in Zurich will be the clash predicted by the seedings - but Pakistan favourite Aamir Atlas Khan (left) and Egypt's second seed Mohamed El Shorbagy reached the climax of the biennial World Squash Federation championship, being staged for the first time in Switzerland, in contrasting styles.

Khan, who celebrated his 18th birthday 24 hours earlier, cruised to a 9-1, 9-1, 9-6 victory in 40 minutes over compatriot Waqar Mehboob, aw 5/8 seed.

Kahn - who has reached the final without dropping a game - is now one match away from becoming the first Pakistani to win the title since his legendary uncle Jansher Khan, the record eight-time senior World Open champion, in 1986.

The other semi-final pitched El Shorbagy against local hero Nicolas Mueller, the third seed and former European Junior champion from Switzerland.

With the crowd backing Mueller all the way, the Swiss teenager twice clawed back game leads by the higher-ranked Egyptian. 

But, after 67 minutes, it was El Shorbagy who prevailed, winning 9-7, 9-10, 9-4, 1-9, 9-5 to take his expected place in Friday's final.

Mehboob Guarantees Pakistani Finalist In Zurich World Championship

A Pakistani finalist in the World Junior Men's Squash Championship in Zurich is assured after Waqar Mehboob, a 5/8 seed, upset fourth-seeded Frenchman Gregoire Marche in the quarter-finals of the biennial World Squash Federation championship being staged for the first time in Switzerland.

Mehboob, the 16-year-old reigning Pakistan Junior champion from Peshawar, battled for 74 minutes to overcome the 18-year-old European Junior champion from Aix-en-Provence 9-6, 8-10, 9-5, 9-0.

In a match which will ensure the first Pakistani finalist since 2004, Mehboob - in his maiden appearance in the event - will now take on compatriot Aamir Atlas Khan, the event's firm favourite after reaching the semi-finals both in 2004 and 2006, in

Khan celebrated his 18th birthday in fine style by beating Egyptian Andrew Wagih Shoukry 9-1, 9-5, 9-0 in 36 minutes.

The other semi-final will pitch local hero Nicolas Mueller, the third seed, against Egypt's Mohamed El Shorbagy, the No2 seed.

Mueller arrived at the event following successive European Squash Federation Junior Circuit victories in the German Open, the Pioneer Open and the Dutch Open.  But the 18-year-old from Hirzel, near Zurich, dropped his first game of the championship in overcoming England's 5/8 seed Adrian Waller 9-5, 4-9, 9-3, 9-2 in 58 minutes.

The result ended English interest in the event - and also ended Waller's run of three successive straight games defeats by Switzerland's former European Junior champion.

Mohamed El Shorbagy, a 17-year-old from Alexandria who is yet to drop a game in the event, brushed aside Malaysia's 9/16 seed Ivan Yuen, winning 9-3, 9-5, 9-1 in 30 minutes.

Semi-final line-up:

[1] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) v [5/8] Waqar Mehboob (PAK)

[2] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) v [3] Nicolas Mueller (SUI)