(Photo BJO)
Egyptian players dominate the British Junior Squash Championships with the nation assured of eight titles. The African nation contributed 17 of the 20 finalists in Birmingham.
The only final tie that will not feature an Egyptian player at the championships will be the girls Under-19 competition.
That final will feature Lauren Baltayan of France and Anahat Singh of India. Both player defeated Egyptian rivals in their semi-final tie.
Lauren defeated Sohayla Hazem 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 in 34-minutes while Anahat was equally impressive in defeating Malika El Karaksy 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 in 29-minutes.
Hong Kong’s Ngo San Leung was the other player to gate-crash the Egyptian party. San Leung defeated American Azlan Khan 11-3, 11-9, 11-7 in the boys Under-11 sem-final tie.
He will play Hazem Mahmoud El Fadly of Egypt, who gunned down teammate Selim Elnahas 11-8, 11-2, 11-6 in his semi-final.
All other finals to be played later today will be all-Egyptian clashes, highlighting the African nations depth in the sports that have been dominating at both junior and senior levels in recent years.
Boys Under-19 top seed Adam Hawal got through in straight games against USA’s Christian Capella and next plays close friend Seif Refaay, who was an exemplary straight-games winner over France’s Amir Khaled-Jousselin. It will be a repeat of last year’s BU17 final between the Egyptian pair.
In the girls U-17, England’s sole semi-finalist Mariam Eissa was well positioned at 8-4 up in the third against top seed Habia Rizk, with the first two games shared. However, the Egyptian clawed her way back, helped in part by a crucial overturned stroke decision.
Rizk, who is only 15 and has titles under her belt already at U13 and U15 level, completed 11-7, 4-11, 13-11, 11-4 victory to set up a final against compatriot Mariam El Mattet, who overcame USA’s second seed Isabella Tang in three.
Boys Under-17 top seed Farouk Mohamed was extended to four games by USA’s Brendan Tagliarini while his Egyptian compatriot Philopater Saleh came through in three against Indian second seed Aryaveer Dewan.
Top seed Hassan Abdelgalil cruised into a boys U-15 final against second-seeded compatriot Aly Abdel-Fattah by virtue of an 11-2, 14-12, 16-14 triumph over Baraa Abdelkarim. Abdel-Fattah’s win in the other semi was a classic – 11-6, 6-11, 12-10, 4-11, 14-12 against Aly Teleb.
Title favourite Layan Moustafa and Reem Elmaghraby will contest the girls U-15 final after the Egyptian pair defeated Sandy Hassan in three and USA’s Vivienne Sze in four respectively.
Egyptian twin sisters Alia and Karma Elnazer met in the semi-finals of the girls U-11 with second-seeded Alia coming out on top by a marathon 11-9, 8-11, 2-11, 11-9, 13-11 scoreline. The other semi, also an all-Egyptian affair, also went the distance with Malika Ghonim toppling top seed Talia Eslam 6-11, 11-9, 4-11, 14-12, 13-11.
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Boys
U19: Seif Refaay (EGY) bt. Amir Khaled-Jousselin (FRA) 3-0: 11-9, 11-3, 11-3 (41m); Adam Hawal (EGY) bt. Christian Capella (USA) 3-0: 11-7, 12-10, 11-7 (44m)
U17: Philopater Saleh (EGY) bt. Aryaveer Dewan (IND) 3-0: 11-9, 11-4, 11-7 (37m); Farouk Mohamed (EGY) bt. Brendan Tagliarini (USA) 3-1: 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5 (56m)
U15: Aly Abdel-Fattah (EGY) bt. Aly Teleb (EGY) 3-2: 11-6, 6-11, 12-10, 4-11, 13-11 (50m); Hassan Abdelgalil (EGY) bt. Baraa Abdelkarim (EGY) 3-0: 11-2, 14-12, 16-14 (31m)
U13: Adam Ragab (EGY) bt. Hussein Ghoneim (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 11-7 (29m); Yahia Waleed Rayan (EGY) bt. Tameem Mostafa Fahmy (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (23m)
U11: Ngo San Leung (HKG) bt. Azlan Khan (USA) 3-0: 11-3, 11-9, 11-7 (17m); Hazem Mahmoud El Fadly (EGY) bt. Selim Elnahas (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-2, 11-6 (21m)
Girls
U19: Lauren Baltayan (FRA) bt. Sohayla Hazem (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 (34m); Anahat Singh (IND) bt. Malika El Karaksy (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 (29m)
U17: Mariam El Mattet (EGY) bt. Isabella Tang (USA) 3-0: 17-15, 11-7, 11-7 (31m); Habiba Rizk (EGY) bt. Mariam Eissa (ENG) 3-1: 11-7, 4-11, 13-11, 11-4 (34m)
U15: Layan Moustafa (EGY) bt. Sandy Hassan (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 15-13 (35m); Reem Elmaghraby (EGY) bt. Vivienne Sze (USA) 3-1: 11-8, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7 (39m)
U13: Nabila Elnahas (EGY) bt. Fayrouz Elsayad (EGY) 3-2: 10-12, 11-3, 11-1, 9-11, 11-7 (40m); Serein Mohamed (EGY) bt. Laila Mohamed Mohsen (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 13-11, 11-4 (27m)
U11: Alia Elnazer (EGY) bt. Karma Elnazer (EGY) 3-2: 11-9, 8-11, 2-11, 11-9, 13-11 (42m); Malika Ghonim (EGY) bt. Talia Eslam (EGY) 3-2: 6-11, 11-9, 4-11, 14-12, 13-11 (41m)
