|
Preview:
English Junior Champs head for Surrey
Next weekend will see the finest junior squash players in
the country travel to Surrey to compete in the Tecnifibre
English Junior Championships (EJC). This event has now
established itself as a major event in the calendar,
complimenting the traditional Tecnifibre British Junior
Championships and the Tecnifibre British Junior Open, giving
the players the opportunity to fight it out for a coveted
English National title.
Colets Health Club and Surrey Sports Park will
host 250 players from 4-6 March for three days of fiercely
competitive squash. With the Junior European Championships
(both Under 19 and Under 15/13’s) fast approaching many of
the leading contenders will be trying to impress and secure
England team positions.
 Emily
Whitlock (Cheshire) fresh from securing a British Junior
Open title will head into the event favourite to capture the
Girls U19 title, her main challenge is likely to come from
Katie Smith (Yorkshire) who is chasing her first
major title.
Top seed in the Boys U19’s Nathan Lake
(Gloucestershire) will be hoping to capture a major honour
before his Junior career comes to an end. He is seeded to
meet Declan James (Nottinghamshire) in the final but
with 3/4 seeds James Earles (Yorkshire) and Robert
Downer (Hampshire) lurking in the draw it will not be
plain sailing for the top 2 seeds.
 The
Boys U17 event will see Number 1 seed Matt Sidaway
(Lancashire) return to defend his EJC U17 title but will be
sure to face stiff competition from number two seed
Oliver Holland (Nottinghamshire) who will be looking to
add an EJC title to his trophy cabinet.
Chloe Pearson (Warwickshire) will head the seedings in
the Girls U17 event and will renew her rivalry with 2nd seed
Victoria Temple Murray (Devon). The girls contested
the U15 British Junior Championships Final in 2009, with
Temple Murray taking the British crown in the 5th game,
Pearson will surely be out for revenge this time round.
In the Girls U15’s, Lucy Beecroft (Northumbria)
returns with hopes to go one better than last year’s runner
up prize, she starts as favourite with Lily Taylor
(Leicestershire) occupying the number two seeded position.
George Parker (Leicestershire) comes into the event
as favourite and top seed in the Boys U15 event with Adam
Turner (Derbyshire) hot on his heels as both look to
collect a major honour.
Harry Falconer (Lincolnshire) will be hoping to make it
a double title winning season as he arrives in Surrey as the
Boys U13 British Junior Champion, looking to upset that will
be 2nd seed Robbie Keefe (Hampshire). Elise
Lazarus (Essex) will be out to win her first major
title, still under 11 years of age she is the top seed in
the Girls U13’s with Elin Jones (Gloucestershire)
seeded number 2.
Both venues have fantastic facilities and plenty of viewing.
Play begins at 9.00am on Friday with the finals scheduled
for Sunday afternoon. All spectators wishing to watch the
best junior players in the country are invited to attend the
event free of charge.
|
|
