Hosts Australia come back to down rivals New Zealand and reach quarter-finals in WSF Women’s World Junior Team Championship

Hosts Australia produced an entertaining comeback to defeat rivals New Zealand and progress through to the quarter-finals of the WSF Women’s World Junior Team Championship for just the second time since 2005.

The No.8 seeds went into today’s tie with the No.9 seeds with both teams needing a win to progress after each lost to No.2 seeds Malaysia earlier in the week.

With teams playing a 3-2-1 string order, it was New Zealand who made the stronger start, with third string Anne Leakey getting the better of Hannah Slyth 3-0.

This left the hosts with no margin for error in their bid for a second consecutive last-eight finish.

Erin Classen began the fightback, with the Cape Town-born 18-year-old beating Sophie Hodges 3-1 to level the tie.

In the deciding match, first string Madison Lyon got the hosts over the line, with the 18-year-old looking assured on court as she downed Ella Lash 11-7, 10-12, 11-6, 11-5 to set up a last eight tie with top seeds and defending champions Egypt.

Afterwards, Classen said: “I feel good about that, there was a lot of pressure on that match because Australia really needed that so I’m really happy to have won it.

“[My team] were phenomenal as always. They really carried the team – more so than me probably!”

Also through to the last eight are USA, Hong Kong – China, England, India, and Canada, with each side picking up comfortable wins to seal their places in the last eight.

No.2 seeds Malaysia, like Egypt, secured their place in the last round yesterday after topping their three-team pool with two wins out of two.

The quarter-finals will be played tomorrow, 27 July, with ties being played on the glass court and Court Nine at 14:00 and 17:00 (Melbourne, GMT+10).

All the action will be shown live and free on www.worldsquash.tv, alongside Olympic Channel coverage of the glass court ties.

The 9-14 playoffs will take place on Court Six from 14:00 and will also be streamed for free on www.worldsquash.tv.

Teams, schedules, pools and results can be viewed on Tournament Software.

Results: WSF Women’s World Junior Team Championship – Pools Stage (26 July)

Pool A
[7] Canada 2-1 [10] Scotland
Ocean Ma lost to Robyn McAlpine 2-3: 11-5, 12-10, 5-11, 7-11, 3-11 (35m)
Spring Ma bt Anna Halliday 3-1: 11-4, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5 (29m)
Maria Min bt Rowan Niven 3-0: 11-4, 11-9, 11-8 (22m)

Pool B
[8] Australia 2-1 [9] New Zealand
Madison Lyon bt Ella Lash 3-1: 11-7, 10-12, 11-6, 11-5 (32m)
Erin Classen bt Sophie Hodges 3-1: 11-3, 11-7, 14-16, 11-3 (34m)
Hannah Slyth lost to Anne Leakey 0-3: 6-11, 7-11, 5-11 (22m)

Pool C
[3] USA 3-0 [14] Chinese Taipei
Caroline Fouts bt Yu-Chen Cheng 3-0: 11-2, 11-4, 11-2 (14m)
Riya Navani bt Jen-Ju Shaw 3-0: 11-2, 11-2, 11-0 (14m)
Emma Trauber bt Mei Mei Chan 3-0: 11-2, 11-1, 11-0 (12m)

[5] England 2-1 [11] South Africa
Amelie Haworth lost to Savannah Margot Ingledew 1-3: 9-11, 7-11, 12-10, 7-11 (48m)
Isabel McCullough bt Dené Van Zyl 3-0: 11-4 11-4 11-5 (17m)
Meha Shah bt Jordin Phillips 3-1: 5-11, 11-5, 11-2, 11-1 (26m)

Pool D
[4] Hong Kong, China 3-0 [13] Ireland
Tse Yee Lam Toby bt Sophie Thomas 3-0: 11-2, 11-3, 11-2 (14m)
Ka Huen Leung bt Maria Protsepova 3-0: 11-5 11-3 11-3 (15m)
Ena Kwon bt Lydia Mcquillan 3-0: 11-3, 11-1, 11-5 (16m)

[6] India 3-0 [12] Singapore
Anahat Singh bt Paige Teresa Hill 3-0: 11-3 11-2 11-3 (19m)
Pooja Arthi Raghu bt Gracia Chua Rui En 3-1: 4-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-9 (30m)
Tiana Parasrampuria bt Zhe Sim Ong 3-2: 7-11, 11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5 (41m)

Draw: WSF Women’s World Junior Team Championship – Quarter-Finals (27 July)
[1] Egypt v [8] Australia
[4] Hong Kong, China v [5] England
[3] USA v [6] India
[2] Malaysia v [7] Canada