World Junior Championships 2010
28-Jul to 07-Aug, Quito, Ecuador
Team Event
01-Aug, Final:
[1] Amr Khaled Khalifa
(Egy) bt [2] Ali Farag (Egy)
8/11, 11/9, 12/10,
11/7 (60m)
3rd/4th:
Marwan El Shorbagy bt Farhan Zaman
15/17, 11/6, 12/10, 14/12
Khalifa Crowned World Junior Champion
In Quito
Amr Khaled Khalifa outlasted fellow countryman Ali
Farag in the final of the Men's World Junior Squash
Championship on an all-glass court at El Condado Shopping
Mall in the Ecuador capital Quito to become the third
successive Egyptian winner of the event in its 17th year.
While
Farag, the 18-year-old second seed, reached the final
without dropping a game, favourite Khalifa was taken the
full distance in the semi-finals for the first time by
compatriot Marwan El Shorbagy, a 9/16 seed.
And it was underdog Farag who claimed the initial advantage,
winning the first game 11-8.
But in the battle between the two teenagers from Cairo,
17-year-old Khalifa began to exert his authority on the
opponent whom he had last beaten on the international stage
in the quarter-finals of the British Junior U15 Open more
than three years ago.
Favourite Khalifa took the second game by a two-point
margin, then survived a tie-break third before confirming
his advantage in the fourth to claim his title-winning 8-11,
11-9, 12-10, 11-7 in exactly one hour.
Khalifa extends Egypt's grip on the title to six years after
Ramy Ashour, the current world No2, won the trophy in 2004 &
2006, and Mohamed El Shorbagy, now ranked 13, in 2008 &
2009.
And the country secured a clean sweep of the 2010 medals
when Marwan El Shorbagy beat Pakistan's Farhan Zaman, also a
9/16 seed, 15-17, 11-6, 12-10, 14-12 in the bronze medal
play-off.
31-Jul, Semi-Finals:
Amr Khaled Khalifa (Egy) bt Marwan El Shorbagy (Egy)
11/6, 11/1, 11/13, 9/11, 11/4 (74m) Ali Farag (Egy) bt Farhan Zaman (Pak)
11/2, 11/4, 11/8 (23m)
All Egyptian Final in Quito
The world junior final will be contested by the two top
seeded Egyptians after contrasting semi-finals victories at
the El Condado shopping mall in Quito.
Event favourite Amr Khaled Khalifa took a two game
lead over compatriot Marwan El Shorbaby, but the younger
brother of the reigning champion mounted a stirring comeback
to take the match into a deciding game, raising the prospect
of keeping the title in the family. It was the top seed who
prevailed though, pulling clear early in the fifth and
clinching the win after 74 minutes of play.
It took second seed Ali Farag less than a third of
that time to dismiss the challenge of Pakistan's Farhan
Zaman to set up an all-Egyptian final, guaranteeing that the
title remains in Egyptian hands where it has been since 2004
with two wins each from Ramy Ashour and Mohamed El Shorbagy.
[1] Amr Khaled
Khalifa (Egy) bt [6] Aditya Jagtap (Ind)
11/5,
11/2, 11/2
[9/16] Marwan El Shorbagy (Egy) bt Ali Ashraf (Egy)
11/6,
11/6, 11/7
[9/16] Farhan Zaman (Pak) bt Mohamed El Sherbini (Egy)
12/10, 11/9, 8/11, 11/7
[2] Ali Farag (Egy) bt [8] Charles Sharpes (Eng)
11/8, 11/7, 11/4
Zaman Holds Back
Egyptian Advance In Quito
Egypt's bid to become the first country for 20 years to
claim all four semi-final berths in the Men's World Junior
Squash Championship was halted by Farhan Zaman when
the 9/16 seed from Pakistan beat giant-killer Mohamed El
Sherbini in four games in the quarter-finals at the El
Condado Shopping Mall in Quito.
It was a determined performance by the 17-year-old from
Peshawar who had upset Mexico's No7 seed Miled Zarazua to
reach the last eight. Making his third appearance in the
championship, Zaman battled for four games to overcome El
Sherbini, 17, from Alexandria.
El Sherbini, a cousin of 14-year-old former women's world
junior champion Nour El Sherbini, was only seeded to reach
the last 32 - but made his breakthrough in the championship
after upsetting France's third seed Lucas Serme in the third
round.
Zaman now faces Cairo-based Egyptian Ali Farag for a
place in the final. Second seed Farag ended English interest
in the event by beating eighth seed Charles Sharpes.
The
other semi-final will be an all-Egyptian affair between
favourite Amr Khaled Khalifa and outsider Marwan
El Shorbagy.
Khalifa, the 17-year-old world No94 from Cairo, brushed
aside sixth-seeded Indian Aditya Jagtap while El Shorbagy, a
9/16 seed, continued his unscheduled march through the event
by despatching fellow countryman Ali Ashraf El Karargy.
El Shorbagy, 17, from Alexandria, is only two rounds away
from creating championship history by becoming the first
brother of a former champion to win the title. His
illustrious older sibling Mohamed El Shorbagy, now ranked 13
in the world, is the reigning champion after last year
becoming only the second player in history, after Ramy
Ashour, to win the title a second time.
29-Jul, Round 4:
Full Draws & Results [1] Amr Khaled
Khalifa (Egy) bt [9/16] Jacob Alexander (Aus)
11/2,
11/0, 11/5
[6] Aditya Jagtap (Ind) bt [9/16] James Earles (Eng)
11/6, 6/11,
11/6, 11/8
[9/16] Marwan El Shorbagy (Egy) bt [4] Rudi Rohrmuller (Ger)
11/5, 11/2, 11/5
Ali Ashraf El Karargy (Egy) bt Nick Sachvie (Can)
11/3, 11/8,
12/10
[9/16] Farhan Zaman (Pak) bt [7] Miled Zarazua (Mex)
11/3, 11/6, 11/9
Mohamed El Sherbini (Egy) bt [9/16] Ravi Dixit (Ind)
11/1, 11/8, 12/10
[8] Charles Sharpes (Eng) bt [9/16] Zahed Mohamed (Egy)
11/8, 6/11,
11/7, 11/4
[2] Ali Farag (Egy) bt [9/16] Waqas Mehboob (Pak)
11/2, 11/4,
11/5
29-Jul, Day Two: down to the last 8
Egyptians dominate in Quito ...
There will be
Egyptian interest in all four quarter-finals of the in
Ecuador after a trio of unheralded players claimed
unexpected victories in the fourth round.
In a battle between two relatives of successful girls on the
WISPA World Tour, 17-year-old Mohamed El Sherbini
(cousin of 2009 women's world junior champion Nour El
Sherbini) made his breakthrough in the day's earlier third
round when he fought back from two games down to upset
France's third seed Lucas Serme (younger brother of world
No10 Camille Serme).
The 17/32 seed from Alexandria went on to defeat India's
9/16 seed Ravi Dixit, the reigning Asian Junior Champion.
Ali Ashraf El Karargy, another player expected to
progress no further than the last 32, followed a straight
games third round win over Indian Ramit Tandon, a 9/16 seed,
by defeating Canada's Nick Sachvie to set up a surprise
all-Egyptian quarter-final clash with Marwan El Shorbagy.
Younger brother of two-time and reigning world junior
champion Mohamed El Shorbagy, 9/16 seed Marwan crushed
fourth-seeded German Rudi Rohrmuller in straight games and
will celebrate his 17th birthday taking on fellow countryman
El Karargy for a place in the semi-finals.
Pakistan will also provide unexpected quarter-final interest
when Farhan Zaman takes on Mohamed El Sherbini. The
9/16 seed from Peshawar made his breakthrough in the last
sixteen round when he upset seventh-seeded Mexican Miled
Zarazua.
India's last remaining survivor Aditya Jagtap duly
took his place in the last eight following victory over
England's James Earles. The sixth seed from Mumbai will now
face Egypt's event favourite Amr Khaled Khalifa who
despatched Australia's Jacob Alexander.
Second-seeded Egyptian Ali Farag will take on
England's lone survivor Charles Sharpes. Farag, 18,
from Cairo, defeated Pakistan's Waqas Mehboob while Sharpes,
the No8 seed from Surrey, took four games to overcome
Egypt's Zahed Mohamed.
Day One: Seeds safely through
Players from 14
nations will contest the third round in Ecuador after
surviving the opening two rounds at Quito Tennis & Golf
Club.
Egypt dominate proceedings with six players through
to the last 32, with India and Pakistan
represented by four, followed by three from each of USA,
England and Mexico.
All top 16 seeds survived their early encounters with
England's James Earles the only player to be taken
the full distance, before overcoming stubborn resistance
from unseeded South African Athan Page.
Amr Khaled Khalifa and Ali Farag, the two top
seeds from Egypt, enjoyed comfortable straight games second
round wins.
Damien Volland doubled French interest in the third
round after upsetting Sam Fife, a 17/32 seed from Australia.
Unseeded Mexican Ricardo Lopez Valdiva also recorded
a notable upset by beating India's 17/32 seed Abhishek
Pradhan. But Karan Malik restored India's pride later
when the 18-year-old from Chennai recovered from a game down
to overcome Tom de Mulder, a 17/32 seed from Belgium.
All's Well ...
Happily, the repairs had been carried out when we arrived
and the matches went ahead with a good audience, although at
one point, they were asked to spread out and not all occupy
the end that collapsed the day before.
The only other minor problem was when some fools who were
watching from the upper floors of the shopping centre
thought it amusing to drop things onto the court during the
matches. A small distraction but unwelcome all the same!
All fall down ... From an observer in Quito
Apart from the squash yesterday, there was a minor scare at
the glass court in the El Condado Shopping Mall when part of
the seating collapsed under the weight of spectators while
Charles Sharpes and Ali Farag were in the first half of
their warm-up for the last quarter-final!
No-one was hurt but there was a delay while the seating was
cleared, and the match was played with just coaches, team
mates and officials low down behind the court.
Repair work was due to be carried out overnight so that the
remaining matches could have the audience the players
deserve.
We'll know whether the repairs are complete when we get
there for the first match at 3pm ...
The
Indian team had a good start at the World Junior Men’s
Squash Championships in Quito, Ecuador with 4 players
progressing into the top 32 stage after 2 rounds on day 1.
The contingent comprising Aditya Jagtap, Ravi Dixit,
Ramit Tandon, Abhishek Pradhan, Mahesh Mangaonkar and
coach Cyrus Poncha arrived a week prior to the championships
for acclimatization. This has been beneficial as it is the
first time the Indian boys are playing at an altitude of
9000 feet above sea level.
The quartet of Aditya, Ramit, Ravi and
Karan advanced to the round of 32 without too much
trouble. Ravi survived a small hiccup but pulled through to
join Aditya and Ramit who notched up straight game
victories. The notable achievement was Karan Malik
who defeated higher ranked Tom de Mulder from Belgium in
four games. Karan was fitter and more consistent than his
opponent. Mahesh went down to England’s top seed Charles
Sharpes in a keenly contested four games while Abhishek lost
to a fast moving Ricardo from Mexico in straight games.
Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
Mexico, Guatemala, USA, India
England, Venezuela, Referees, Chris Stahl (WSF)
Khalifa Seeded To Extend Egyptian Grip On
World Junior Title
Amr Khaled Khalifa is expected to extend Egypt’s
six-year grip on the World Junior Squash Championship
title, according to the draw for the 2010 event in
Ecuador.
The 17th World Junior Individual Championship, which has
attracted players from 25 countries, will take place at the
Quito Tennis & Golf Club in the Ecuador capital Quito from
27 July to 1 August, followed by the Men's World Junior Team
Championship from 2-7 August.
Khalifa, a former British Junior U15 & U17 Open champion, is
expected to follow on from previous Egyptian double world
junior champions Ramy Ashour (2004 & 2006) and Mohamed El
Shorbagy (2008 & 2009). The 17-year-old, who reached the
event’s quarter-finals a year ago, is expected to meet
18-year-old compatriot Ali Farag in an all-Cairo
final.
Frenchman Lucas
Serme and
Germany’s Rudi Rohrmuller - champion and runner-up in the
2010 European Junior Championship in March – are seeded
three and four.
First World Champs at Altitude
The Ecuadorian Squash Federation is making a big effort
making it possible for this country to enjoy of the World
Squash Championship, an unprecedented event in Latin
America.
From the 27th of July until the 7th of August, Quito will be
the venue of the World Junior Squash Championship, which
brings 112 players from 25 countries including Egypt,
England, Germany, Canada, USA, France, Japan and Ecuador.
The Squash courts of The Quito Tennis Y Golf Club will bring
together the world's players who will try to win the junior
titles in the individual and team events.
As well to an unusual event a glass squash court will be
place it in a site that the event organization is about to
define and this off course will catch the interest of Quito
citizens.
Ecuador has organized five world championship events before
but in different sports - Guayaquil organized two world
events: Swimming and Tae Kwon Do. Salinas hosted Surf and
Sailing and in the meantime Cuenca organized a World
Billiard contest. For the first time Quito will witness a
world-class sporting event.
Squash is considered the most healthy sport by Forbes
magazine and it is played in 150 countries from around the
world. This World Junior Squash Championship Quito 2010 is
supported by the World Squash Federation, The South American
Squash Confederation, and the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee.
