Northern Joe Cup: Bryant Beats Khan to Set up Withington Clash

Reigning British junior champion Jonah Bryant beat current world junior champion Hamza Khan on day one of the Northern Joe Cup, setting up a round-two clash with home favourite Finnlay Withington. 

Bryant and Khan were the last pair on court one at the Cheetham Hill Sports Club, with all those in attendance expecting a tight and tense affair between two of squash’s most exciting young talents. 

Bryant, though, had other ideas, controlling much of the first two games, in which he dropped just seven points in total to move within one game of victory. 

Khan responded well and kept himself alive by winning game three, but Bryant regained momentum with a 5-1 run top open game four, closing out the win 11-4 just a few minutes later. 

Bryant has won his last two PSA Tour events, either side of being crowned British junior champion, but he will now face the player who beat him to win that title one year earlier in Withington. 

The reigning British junior girl’s champion Amelie Haworth also made a winning start to her competition, albeit needing all five games to edge past Katie Wells. 

Haworth twice had to come from a game down to level the match, before eventually taking the decider 11-9, sealing her place in round two with an overhand volley down the line. 

The big upset in the women’s draw came in the match between local wild card Amy Royale and Egypt’s Nour Ramy, which Royale won 3-2 after 40 minutes, booking her spot in the second round, where she will play Wales’ Ali Loke. 

There were also five-game wins for Stuart Macgregor and 17-year-old wild card AbdAllah Eissa in the men’s competition, while 16-year-old prospect Mohamad Zakaria came through 3-0 against Stephen Hearst, having to save a game ball in the third. 

Isacc Rawcliffe, whose brother Joe this competition is in memory of, was also in action as a wild card on day one, losing out to Lewis Doughty 11-4, 11-5, 11-3. 

You can donate to The Brain Tumor Charity in memory of Joe Rawcliffe here. 

Results: Men’s Round One 

[9/16] Stuart MacGregor (ENG) bt Joel Arscott (NZL) 3-0: 11-13, 11-5, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6 (58m) 
Amaad Fareed (PAK) bt [9/16] William Donnelly (NZL) 3-0: 11-3, 11-3, 11-4 (25m) 
[WC] Abdallah Eissa (ENG) bt [9/16] Rhys Evans (WAL) 3-0: 4-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-9 (60m) 
[9/16] Laouenan Loaëc (FRA) bt Mason Smales (NZL) 3-0: 11-4, 11-9, 11-4 (26m) 
[9/16] Ameeshenraj Chandaran (MAS) bt Paul Gonzalez (FRA) 3-0: 12-10, 11-3, 11-9 (46m) 
[9/16] Lewis Doughty (ENG) bt [WC] Isaac Rawcliffe (ENG) 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 (21m) 
[9/16] Mohamed Zakaria (EGY) bt [WC] Stephen Hearst (NIR) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 13-11 (27m) 
[9/16] Jonah Bryant (ENG) bt Hamza Khan (PAK) 3-1: 11-5, 11-2, 9-11, 11-4 (31m) 

Results: Women’s Round One 

[9/16] Hayley Ward (RSA) bt Catherine Holland (SCO) 3-0: 11-1, 11-1, 11-5 (13m) 
Olivia Besant (ENG) bt [9/16] Erin Classen (AUS) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-7 (17m) 
[WC] Amy Royle (ENG) bt [9/16] Nour Ramy (EGY) 3-2: 13-11, 1-11, 11-1, 4-11, 11-8 (40m) 
[9/16] Nour Megahed (EGY) bt Chloe Foster (WAL) 3-0: 11-6, 11-2, 11-2 (16m) 
[9/16] Sanne Veldkamp (NED) bt [WC] Charlie McCrone (ENG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-7, 11-1 (19m) 
Amelie Haworth (ENG) bt [9/16] Katie Wells (ENG) 3-2: 9-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9 (44m) 
[9/16] Katriona Ross (SCO) bt Robyn McAlpine (SCO) 3-0: 11-4, 11-5, 11-8 (23m) 
[9/16] Nika Urh (SLO) bt Katie Cox (ENG) 3-1: 6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-3 (27m)