Egypt Win World Junior Title In Hong Kong

Favourites Egypt cruised to victory in today's (Saturday) final of the Hoe Hin White Flower Ointment World Junior Women's Team Squash Championship in Hong Kong, beating fifth seeds Malaysia 2/0 to win the biennial World Squash Federation world title for the third time since 1999.

Denied by Hong Kong in the last final two years ago in Belgium, Egypt were in confident form throughout the 2007 tournament and looked unlikely to make the same mistake twice. 

Heba El Torky, the 16-year-old Egyptian No2 from Alexandria, put her side ahead after despatching Malaysia's Low Wee Nee 9-1, 9-1, 9-3 in just 17 minutes.

The climax of the tie saw the new record-equalling two-times world junior individual champion Raneem El Weleily, also from Alexandria, take on the Malaysian No1 Low Wee Wern - and the older sister of the squad's second string Wee Nee made the new world champion fight for every point.

But after 35 minutes, El Weleily clinched her 9-0, 9-4, 7-9, 9-6 victory - and the entire squad celebrated their magnificent global triumph.

The win marks a sensational achievement for Egypt, who now boast all four world junior squash titles:  the women's team and women's individual, with Raneem El Weleily, and - a year ago in New Zealand - the men's team and men's individual, won by the current senior world number two Ramy Ashour.

In the bronze medal play-off for third place, third seeds New Zealand came back from a match down to beat hosts and defending champions Hong Kong 2/1.

Second seeds England claimed fifth place following a 2/0 win over France - whose sixth place marks their best ever finish in the event.

Australia beat Germany in the play-off for 11^th place - but this marks the three-times former champions' lowest finish in the history of the event since 1985.

However, South Korea finished on a major high:  Seeded 16 in their debut in the tournament, the newcomers fought back from behind to beat Netherlands, the 12^th seeds, 2/1 to claim an impressive 13^th place finish.

Final:

[1] EGYPT bt [5] MALAYSIA 2-0

Heba El Torky bt Low Wee Nee 9-1, 9-1, 9-3 (17m)

Raneem El Weleily bt Low Wee Wern 9-0, 9-4, 7-9, 9-6 (35m)

Nour Bahgat v Pushppa Devi (dead rubber - match not played)

    3rd place play-off:

[3] NEW ZEALAND bt [4] HONG KONG 2-1

Kerry Wickett lost to Shin Nga Leung 3-9, 2-9, 7-9 (32m)

Joelle King bt Annie Au 9-1, 9-6, 9-4 (33m)

Lana Harrison bt Liu Tsz Ling 5-9, 9-0, 10-8, 9-7 (46m)

    5th place play-off:

[2] ENGLAND bt [6] FRANCE 2-0

Victoria Lust bt Camille Serme 9-6, 9-6, 4-9, 9-6 (43m)

Victoria Bell bt Coline Aumard 9-1, 9-1, 9-2 (22m)

Kimberley Hay v Faustine Gilles (dead rubber - match not played)

    7th place play-off:

[10] CANADA bt [8] USA 2-1

Jackie Moss lost to Emily Park 3-9, 6-9, 3-9 (23m)

Laura Gemmell bt Olivia Blatchford 6-9, 9-5, 9-6, 9-5 (48m)

Samantha Cornett bt Sarah Toomey 9-3, 9-2, 10-8 (25m)

    9th place play-off:

[11] INDIA bt [13] SOUTH AFRICA 2-0

Anwesha Reddy bt Lizane Vlok 9-1, 9-2, 9-10, 4-9, 9-2 (41m)

Dipika Pallikal bt Milnay Louw 9-3, 9-7, 9-2 (30m)

Surbhi Misra v Alushca Botha (dead rubber - match not played)

    11th place play-off:

[9] AUSTRALIA bt [7] GERMANY 2-1

Maggy Marshall bt Astrid Kern 1-9, 9-4, 7-9, 9-4, 9-0 (44m)

Melody Francis lost to Sina Wall 9-4, 0-9, 1-9, 7-9 (37m)

Kimberley Bessell bt Lisa Marie Sedlmeier 7-9, 9-5, 3-9, 9-3, 9-1 (35m)

    13th place play-off:

[16] SOUTH KOREA bt [12] NETHERLANDS 2-1

Yang Youn-Soo lost to Melissa Meulenbelt 9-1, 4-9, 1-9, 0-9 (29m)

Sun-Mi Song bt Milou van der Heijden 3-9, 8-10, 9-5, 9-6, 9-5 (58m)

Lee Ji Hyun bt Ilona Lagerweij 9-6, 9-5, 9-4 (30m)

    15th place play-off:

[15] JAPAN bt [14] SWITZERLAND 2-0

Ikuko Tao bt Agapi Kazamia 9-0, 9-0, 9-0 (5m)

Misaki Kobayashi bt Jasmin Ballman 7-9, 9-5, 9-6, 9-2 (23m)

Mayu Yamazaki v Caroline Bachem (dead rubber - match not played)

    17th place play-off:

[17] SINGAPORE bt [18] ZIMBABWE 3-0

Kimberly Chew Lin bt Stacey Plenderleith 9-2, 9-2, 9-1

Nicole Chua bt Catherine McTaggart 9-2, 9-2, 9-5

Mao Shi Hui bt Michelle Williams 9-5, 9-6, 9-0

   19th place play-off:  [19] CHINA

10-Aug-07:
Favourites Egypt To Face Outsiders
Malaysia In World Final In Hong Kong

While favourites Egypt cruised through to the final of the Hoe Hin White Flower Ointment World Junior Women's Team Squash Championship after comfortable victories in today's (Friday) quarter and semi-finals, their opponents Malaysia pulled off two impressive upsets - over England and New Zealand - to reach the climax of the biennial World Squash Federation event in Hong Kong as fifth-seeded outsiders.

With schedules being amended in the wake of a level-eight typhoon which is about to hit the Chinese territory, Malaysia took on England in the morning's quarter-finals - and beat the second seeds 2/1.  Squad number three Nessrine Ariffin fought back from 2/0 down to beat England's 15-year-old Kimberley Hay 1-9, 3-9, 9-3, 9-1, 9-7 in the 46-minute opening rubber - then, in the battle between the top strings, Low Wee Wern took 54 minutes to overcome British Junior Champion Victoria Lust 9-6, 10-9, 9-6 to ensure Malaysia's historic victory.

There was consolation for England when Sarah-Jane Perry beat the Malaysian number two Low Wee Nee 8-10, 9-2 9-2 in the best-of-three final match. - but the loss consigns England to a finish outside the top four for the first time in the event's 22-year history.

Within hours, Malaysia were facing third seeds New Zealand in the semi-finals - this time the plucky squad fighting back from a match down to triumph 2/1 - Pushppa Devi losing the opening match to kiwi Lana Harrison before sisters Low Wee Wern and Low Wee Nee beat Joelle King and Kerry Wickett, respectively, to guarantee Malaysia a top two finish for the first time since 2001.

Defending champions Hong Kong ensured a finish in the top four after beating Canada, the No10 seeds, 3/0 in the quarters.  But the squad was stopped in the semi-finals by Egypt, who avenged their surprise defeat in the 2005 final by beating the hosts 3/0.

South Africa are on the verge of their best finish since 1999 after beating ninth seeds Australia 2/1 in the 9-12 play-offs.  The 13th seeds now meet 11th seeds India in the play-off for ninth place.

But perhaps the most significant progress is being made by event debutants South Korea.  Seeded 16th, the emerging squad recovered from a morning defeat by India to upset 14th seeds Switzerland 3/0 in the afternoon.  The newcomers now take on Netherlands, the 12th seeds, in a bid for a 13th place finish.
 

Quarter-finals:

[1] EGYPT bt [6] FRANCE 3-0

Nour Bahgat bt Coline Aumard 9-5, 9-0, 9-3

Raneem El Weleily bt Camille Serme 3-9, 9-5, 9-4, 9-3

Heba El Torky bt Faustine Gilles 9-3, 9-0

[4] HONG KONG bt [10] CANADA 3-0

Liu Tsz Ling bt Jackie Moss 9-5, 9-1, 9-7

Annie Au bt Laura Gemmell 9-2, 9-4, 9-0

Shin Nga Leung bt Sarah Parsons 9-3, 9-0

[3] NEW ZEALAND bt [8] USA 2-1

Amanda Cranston lost to Emily Park 9-1, 9-4, 5-9, 4-9, 4-9

Joelle King bt Logan Greer 9-0, 9-0, 9-1

Kerry Wickett bt Olivia Blatchford 10-8, 9-4, 9-3

[5] MALAYSIA bt [2] ENGLAND 2-1

Nessrine Ariffin bt Kimberley Hay 1-9, 3-9, 9-3, 9-1, 9-7 (46m)

Low Wee Wern bt Victoria Lust 9-6, 10-9, 9-6

Low Wee Nee lost to Sarah-Jane Perry 10-8, 2-9, 2-9

    9th - 16th place play-offs:

[9] AUSTRALIA bt [12] NETHERLANDS 2-1

Laura Stock bt Ilona Lagerweij 3-9, 9-1, 9-6, 9-2

Maggy Marshall bt Milou van der Heijden 2-9, 10-8, 3-9, 9-0, 9-3

Kimberley Bessell lost to Melissa Meulenbelt 6-9, 0-9

[13] SOUTH AFRICA bt [15] JAPAN 3-0

Alushca Botha bt Mayu Yamazaki 9-2, 9-0, 9-0

Milnay Louw bt Misaki Kobayashi 7-9, 9-3, 9-3, 9-0

Lizane Vlok bt Ikuko Tao 9-2, 4-9, 9-0

[11] INDIA bt [16] SOUTH KOREA 3-0

Surbhi Misra bt Kwon Sung-Eun 9-0, 9-5, 9-2

Dipika Pallikal bt Sun-Mi Song 9-7, 9-2, 9-0

Anwesha Reddy bt Lee Ji Hyun 9-3, 9-1

[7] GERMANY bt [14] SWITZERLAND 3-0

Lisa Marie Sedlmeier bt Caroline Bachem 10-9, 7-9, 9-4, 10-8

Sina Wall bt Jasmin Ballman 9-6, 9-3, 9-1

Astrid Kern bt Agapi Kazamia 9-3, 9-1

Semi-finals:

[1] EGYPT bt [4] HONG KONG 3-0

Nour Bahgat bt Tong Tsz Wing 9-2, 9-4, 9-0

Raneem El Weleily bt Annie Au 10-9, 9-1, 9-5

Heba El Torky bt Shin Nga Leung 9-2, 9-3

[5] MALAYSIA bt [3] NEW ZEALAND 2-1

Pushppa Devi lost to Lana Harrison 5-9, 9-7, 6-9, 9-7, 6-9

Low Wee Wern bt Joelle King 9-7, 9-3, 7-9, 9-5

Low Wee Nee bt Kerry Wickett 9-7, 3-9, 9-0, 9-6

    5th - 8th place play-offs:

[6] FRANCE bt [10] CANADA 2-1

Coline Aumard lost to Samantha Cornett 7-9, 9-3, 0-9, 9-5, 5-9

Camille Serme bt Laura Gemmell 9-1, 9-5, 9-6

Faustine Gilles bt Jackie Moss 9-5, 9-7, 9-6

[2] ENGLAND bt [8] USA 2-1

Victoria Bell bt Emily Park 9-4, 9-3, 9-0

Victoria Lust bt Logan Greer 9-6, 9-3, 9-0

Sarah-Jane Perry lost to Olivia Blatchford 10-8, 8-10, 7-9

    9th - 12th place play-offs:

[13] SOUTH AFRICA bt [9] AUSTRALIA 2-1

Alushca Botha lost to Kimberley Bessell 7-9, 9-2, 8-10, 3-9

Milnay Louw bt Melody Francis 9-2, 9-7, 10-8

Lizane Vlok bt Maggy Marshall 9-5, 1-9, 8-10, 9-7, 9-2

[11] INDIA bt [7] GERMANY 3-0

Surbhi Misra bt Steffi Muller 9-5, 4-9, 9-4, 2-9, 9-1

Dipika Pallikal bt Sina Wall 2-9, 9-1, 9-3, 9-1

Anwesha Reddy bt Astrid Kern 9-2, 7-9, 10-9

    13th - 16th place play-offs:

[12] NETHERLANDS bt [15] JAPAN 2-1

Cigany Sierveld bt Mayu Yamazaki 9-5, 9-4, 9-2

Milou van der Heijden lost to Misaki Kobayashi 2-9, 5-9, 5-9

Melissa Meulenbelt bt Ikuko Tao 9-6, 9-2, 9-2

[16] SOUTH KOREA bt [14] SWITZERLAND 3-0

Lee Ji Hyun bt Caroline Bachem 6-9, 9-5, 9-3, 9-0

Sun-Mi Song bt Jasmin Ballman 8-10, 9-1, 9-0, 9-2

Yang Youn-Soo bt Agapi Kazamia 9-2, 9-6

09-Aug-07:
France Celebrate Quarter-Final First In Hong Kong

France achieved a significant breakthrough in today's (Thursday) final qualifying action in the Hoe Hin White Flower Ointment World Junior Women's Team Squash Championship by beating India 2/1 to ensure a first-time place in the quarter-final play-offs of the biennial World Squash Federation event in Hong Kong.

Individual championship runner-up Camille Serme put the sixth seeds ahead in the Pool C tie after beating the 15-year-old Indian number one Dipika Pallikal 9-2, 9-2, 9-7, and Coline Aumard made sure of a French victory after battling to a dramatic 3-9, 9-2, 9-4, 4-9, 9-6 win over Surbhi Misra.  However, there was consolation for 11^th seeds India when third string Anwesha Reddy beat Faustine Gilles 10-8, 9-0, 9-0.

Later in the day, third seeds New Zealand demonstrated their supremacy in the pool by beating France 3/0 to finish as Pool C champions.

As expected, tenth seeds Canada claimed the only surprise slot in the quarter-finals after beating Japan 3/0 in their final tie to finish as runners-up in Pool B.  Second seeds England took pole position in the Pool after beating Germany 2/1.

There were celebrations in the home camp when hosts Hong Kong beat fifth seeds Malaysia 3/0 in their final tie in Pool D.  The defending champions now take on Canada for a place in the semi-finals.

Favourites Egypt eased to a 3/0 victory over USA to claim the Pool A title - and a clash with France in the quarter-finals.  However, eighth seeds USA went on to beat Australia 3/0 to secure the other quarter-final slot from Pool A.

Quarter-final line-up:

[1] EGYPT v [6] FRANCE

[4] HONG KONG v [10] CANADA

[3] NEW ZEALAND v [8] USA

[2] ENGLAND v [5] MALAYSIA

  9th - 16th place play-offs:

[9] AUSTRALIA v [12] NETHERLANDS

[13] SOUTH AFRICA v [15] JAPAN

[11] INDIA v [16] SOUTH KOREA

[7] GERMANY v [14] SWITZERLAND

 

Final qualifying rounds - Pool A:

[1] EGYPT bt [8] USA 3-0

Raneem El Weleily bt Olivia Blatchford 9-3, 9-2, 9-2

Nour Bahgat bt Sarah Toomey 9-3, 9-2, 9-0

Heba El Torky bt Emily Park 9-2, 5-9, 9-2, 9-1

[9] AUSTRALIA bt [16] SOUTH KOREA 2-1

Melody Francis lost to Sun-Mi Song 1-9, 7-9, 0-9

Kimberley Bessell bt Kwon Sung-Eun 9-2, 9-1, 9-4

Maggy Marshall bt Lee Ji Hyun 9-1, 9-1, 9-1

[8] USA bt [9] AUSTRALIA 3-0

Logan Greer bt Maggy Marshall 1-9, 9-4, 9-4, 10-9

Emily Park bt Laura Stock 9-5, 9-2, 9-6

Olivia Blatchford bt Kimberley Bessell 10-8, 9-1, 9-5

[16] SOUTH KOREA bt [17] SINGAPORE 3-0

Sun-Mi Song bt Nicole Chua 9-3, 9-5, 9-1

Kwon Sung-Eun bt Kimberly Chew Lin 9-3, 9-3, 9-1

Lee Ji Hyun bt Mao Shi Hui 6-9, 9-6, 9-3, 9-6

    Final positions: 1 Egypt (won 4/lost 0), 2 USA (3/1), 3 Australia (2/2), 4 South Korea (1/3), 5 Singapore (0/4)

Pool B:

[2] ENGLAND bt [7] GERMANY 2-1

Victoria Lust bt Sina Wall 9-4, 9-2, 9-7

Kimberley Hay bt Steffi Muller 9-2, 9-1, 9-0

Sarah-Jane Perry lost to Astrid Kern 5-9, 9-5, 8-10, 9-2, 6-9

[10] CANADA bt [15] JAPAN 3-0

Laura Gemmell bt Misaki Kobayashi 9-4, 9-5, 9-6

Jackie Moss bt Mayu Yamazaki 9-2, 9-0, 9-1

Sarah Parsons bt Ikuko Tao 9-3, 9-0, 9-4

    Final positions: 1 England (won 4/lost 0), 2 Canada (3/1), 3 Germany (2/2), 4 Japan (1/3), 5 Zimbabwe (0/4)

Pool C:

[6] FRANCE bt [11] INDIA 2-1

Camille Serme bt Dipika Pallikal 9-2, 9-2, 9-7

Coline Aumard bt Surbhi Misra 3-9, 9-2, 9-4, 4-9, 9-6

Faustine Gilles lost to Anwesha Reddy 8-10, 0-9, 0-9

[14] SWITZERLAND bt [19] CHINA 3-0

Jasmin Ballman bt Xiu Chen 9-0, 9-0, 9-3

Caroline Bachem bt Qian Jiayi 9-0, 9-0, 9-1

Agapi Kazamia bt Ding Yating 9-1, 9-1, 9-1

[3] NEW ZEALAND bt [6] FRANCE 3-0

Joelle King bt Camille Serme 9-3, 9-6, 9-3

Amanda Cranston bt Gabrielle de Lavison 9-2, 9-1, 9-0

Kerry Wickett bt Faustine Gilles 9-5, 9-5, 9-6

[11] INDIA bt [14] SWITZERLAND 3-0

Dipika Pallikal bt Jasmin Ballman 9-3, 9-4, 9-5

Surbhi Misra bt Caroline Bachem 5-9, 9-1, 9-3, 9-3

Anwesha Reddy bt Agapi Kazamia 10-8, 9-6, 9-5

    Final positions: 1 New Zealand (won 4/lost 0), 2 France (3/1), 3 India (2/2), 4 Switzerland (1/3), 5 China (0/4)

Pool D:

[4] HONG KONG bt [5] MALAYSIA 3-0

Annie Au bt Low Wee Wern 2-9, 9-3, 9-1, 9-4

Liu Tsz Ling bt Nessrine Ariffin 9-5, 9-7, 1-9, 2-9, 9-3

Shin Nga Leung bt Low Wee Nee 9-3, 9-0, 6-9, 9-4

[13] SOUTH AFRICA bt [12] NETHERLANDS 2-1

Milnay Louw bt Milou van der Heijden 9-4, 9-5, 8-10, 9-3

Lizane Vlok lost to Ilona Lagerweij 5-9, 6-9, 4-9

Cheyna Tucker bt Melissa Meulenbelt 0-9, 9-7, 9-7, 9-6

    Final positions: 1 Hong Kong (won 3/lost 0), 2 Malaysia (2/1), 3 South Africa (1/2), 4 Netherlands (0/3)