Egypt March On On Opening Day Of World Junior Team Champs

Egypt claimed two wins on day one of the WSF Women’s World Junior Team Squash Championship at the Devoy Squash & Fitness Centre in Tauranga to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the biennial World Squash Federation event.

Less than 24 hours after winning both of the individual World Junior Championship titles in New Zealand, Egypt triumphed over Australia and the hosts.

World No.35 Hania El Hammamy, runner-up in the Individuals Championship, fired the top seeds ahead by beating top Kiwi Kaitlyn Watts, before Zeina Mickawy and Amina Yousry closed out the victory for the defending champions.

Second seeds Malaysia also recorded a positive start in Pool B, beating Germany 3-, courtesy of straight games wins by Andrea Lee, Aifa Azman and Zoe Foo Yuk Han.

Pool C favourites England, the No.3 seeds, also claimed a pair of victories – over France and sixth seeds India.

The day’s only upset came when South Africa, the 13th seeds, beat France, seeded two positions higher, 2-1.

16-year-old Faith Panashe Sithole put the underdogs into the lead, but when a win by Lauriane Maingot saw France draw level, Cape Town’s 18-year-old Jennifer Preece sealed victory for South Africa by beating Maelle Fuhrer.

Results

Pool A
[1] EGYPT bt [9] AUSTRALIA 3-0
Rowan Reda Araby bt Lauren Aspinall 11-3, 11-3, 11-7 (15m)
Zeina Mickawy bt Shehana Vithana 11-6, 11-3, 11-7 (18m)
Amina Yousry bt Alexandra Haydon 11-2, 11-1, 11-7 (17m)

[1] EGYPT bt [8] NEW ZEALAND 3-0
Hania El Hammamy bt Kaitlyn Watts 11-5, 11-8, 11-8 (24m)
Zeina Mickawy bt Camden Te Kani-McQueen 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 (13m)
Amina Yousry bt Anika Jackson 11-5, 11-2, 11-5 (15m)

Pool B
[2] MALAYSIA bt [10] GERMANY 3-0
Andrea Lee bt Saskia Beinhard 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 (18m)
Aifa Azman bt Eva Nistler 11-1, 11-5, 11-2 (14m)
Zoe Foo Yuk Han bt Alice Kramer 11-3, 11-2, 11-3 (16m)

Pool C
[3] ENGLAND bt [11] FRANCE 3-0
Lucy Turmel bt Maelle Fuhrer 11-7, 11-5, 11-3 (22m)
Jasmine Hutton bt Chloé Mourier 11-5, 11-0, 11-6 (20m)
Elise Lazarus bt Lauriane Maingot 11-5, 11-7, 7-11, 11-5 (26m)

[6] INDIA bt [13] SOUTH AFRICA 3-0
Akanksha Salunkhe bt Faith Panashe Sithole 11-6, 15-13, 11-4 (19m)
Aishwarya Bhattacharya bt Helena Coetzee 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 (16m)
Sunayna Kuruvilla bt Jennifer Preece 11-5, 11-5, 11-5 (20m)

[3] ENGLAND bt [6] INDIA 3-0
Lucy Turmel bt Akanksha Salunkhe 11-1, 11-5, 11-5 (18m)
Jasmine Hutton bt Aishwarya Bhattacharya 11-4, 11-5, 11-4 (18m)
Elise Lazarus bt Sunayna Kuruvilla 11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 11-8

[13] SOUTH AFRICA bt [11] FRANCE 2-1
Faith Panashe Sithole bt Fanny Segers 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 (17m)
Helena Coetzee lost to Lauriane Maingot 6-11, 6-11, 5-11 (27m)
Jennifer Preece bt Maelle Fuhrer 8-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (29m)

Pool D
[4] HONG KONG CHINA bt [12] REPUBLIC OF KOREA 3-0
Lui Hiu Lam bt Hyoju Seo 11-5, 7-11, 11-1, 11-2 (23m)
Chan Sin Yuk bt Chae Won Song 11-1, 11-8, 11-1 (13m)
Cheng Nga Ching bt Dong Ju Song 10-12, 11-4, 11-6, 11-9 (30m)

[5] USA bt [14] IRELAND 3-0
Grace Doyle bt Laura Neill 11-7, 11-4, 11-1 (20m)
Laila Sedky bt Emma Lundy 11-3, 11-6, 11-5 (16m)
Elle Ruggiero bt Lily Lloyd 11-2, 11-4, 11-3 (18m)