By JANE BALL (Squash Mad Reporter)
The WSF World Junior Squash Championships made a triumphant return today after a three-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the world’s best young players gathered in Nancy, France.
While last night the young stars were wowed by the opening ceremony in the Hôtel de Ville, today, it was their turn to put on a show.
In the men’s draw Pakistan’s top seed Hamza Khan, already ranked at World No.162, impressed as he overcame spirited Colombian Jose Santamaria 3-0. The 16-year-old, who last year won the US Junior Under-19 Open, entertained with brilliant attacking shots, with his late swing able to deceive on a number of occasions.
After taking the first game 11-7 and then overturning a game ball in game two, Khan never looked back, and he finished the match in style with an 11-3 win in the third game.
Khan said: “I’m very happy with the win, I think I played well.” Khan, who will face compatriot Noor Zaman in the final if the tournament goes to seedings, added: “I hope I can go all the way to an all-Pakistan final, and then win!”
On today’s evidence, Khan could well meet Zaman in the final, after the 18-year-old No.2 seed powered past Korea’s Seojin Oh 3-0.
In the women’s draw, Egyptian top seed Kenzy Ayman beat the USA’s Sonya Sasson in an entertaining match. Ayman, who took the opening game off defending World Champion Nour ElSherbini in a second round defeat at this year’s World Championships, started strongly, with her powerful shots proving a potent weapon as she took the match 11-7, 11-9, 11-5.
Afterwards, Ayman said: “I feel happy with the win and to be here in Nancy. I was really nervous in the first game, but then I enjoyed it. I’m really happy with the win and hope to win tomorrow.
“I’ve been made to feel very welcome in Nancy – it’s such a peaceful city!”
Elsewhere, the day went largely according to seedings. In the women’s draw, 3/4 seeds Fayrouz Abouelkheir of Egypt and Aira Azman of Malaysia progressed comfortably, while in the men’s draw, 3/4 seeds Finnlay Withington of England and Egypt’s Kareem El Torkey picked up 3-0 wins.
For the hosts, the day saw mixed results. In the women’s draw, Lauren Baltayan was the sole player to progress, while on the men’s side, Laszlo Goode, Brice Nicolas, Antonin Romieu, and Melvil Scianimanico all made it through to tomorrow, with the pick of the results being Romieu saving two match balls to win in the fifth game to go from 2-0 down to a 3-2 winner against Canada’s Sayan Singh.
Yann Menegaux, French national coach, said: “It’s been a very positive day for the French boys. They relied on their respective strengths to win their matches, they were solid and efficient. It’s been tougher for the girls, with only one of them making it to the third round. Tomorrow, Lauren Baltayan will need to be at her very best.”
Romieu added: “We just had a huge match, probably the match of the day, although I may be a bit biased!”
The WSF World Junior Squash Championships resume tomorrow (12 August) and will be streamed live on the WSF YouTube channel, Squash Du Reve, Sportall, and Sport en France.
2022 WSF World Junior Championships, Nancy, France.
2022 WSF Men’s World Junior Championship, Round of 64
[1] Mohammad Hamza Khan (PAK) bt Jose Santamaria (COL) 3-0: 11-7, 12-10, 11-3Joo Young Na (KOR) bt Dylan Moran (IRL) 3-0: 11-3, 11-9, 11-6
Muhammad Ashab Irfan (PAK) bt Rishi Srivastava (USA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-4
[9/16] Ameeshenraj Chandaran (MAS) bt Aryan Pratap Singh (IND) 3-0: 11-2, 11-5, 11-5
[9/16] Jonah Bryant (ENG) bt Knut Hogervorst (NED) 3-0: 11-2, 11-1, 11-5
Melvil Scianimanico (FRA) bt Damian Groenewald (RSA) 3-1: 11-7, 11-8, 11-5
Javier Emilio Romo Lopez (ECU) bt Alex Yuzpe (CAN) 3-1: 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 13-11
[5/8] Mohammed Nasser (EGY) bt Yuvraj Wadhwani (IND) 3-0: 11-3, 11-8, 11-7
[5/8] Joachim Chuah (MAS) bt Jakub Gogol (POL) 3-0: 11-7, 11-1, 11-7
Joe Smythe (NZL) bt Timofey Radionov (UKR) 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 11-7
Karim Michael (CAN) bt Luke Eyles (AUS) 3-1: 11-7, 11-5, 4-11, 12-10
[9/16] Sam Osborne-Wylde (ENG) bt Juan Irisarri (COL) 3-0: 11-1 11-9, 11-4
[9/16] Arnaav Sareen (IND) bt Harith Danial Jefri (MAS) 3-1: 11-6, 8-11, 11-3, 11-9
Antonin Romieu (FRA) bt Syan Singh (CAN) 3-2: 10-12, 3-11, 11-4, 11-6, 14-12
Avi Agarwal (USA) bt Mason Smales (NZL) 3-1: 8-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-5
(3/4) Finnlay Withington (ENG) bt Tsz Shing Tam (HKG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-4
(3/4) Kareem El Torkey (EGY) bt Rhys Evans (WAL) 3-0: 11-1, 11-1, 11-8
Juan Jose Torres Lara (COL) bt Youssef Elgammal (GER) 3-0: 11-4, 11-4, 11-9
Tad Carney (USA) bt Samuel Ince-Carvalhal (GUY) 3-1: 11-6, 11-9, 11-2
Krishna Mishra (IND) bt [9/16] Andrik Lim Shan (MAS) 3-1: 11-7, 13-11 14-12
[9/16] Denis Gilevskiy (IRL) bt Jia Rong Hi (MAS) 3-0: 11-5 11-7, 11-4
Oscar Curtis (AUS) bt Luke James Jacoby (RSA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-9, 11-4
Franklyn Smith (ENG) bt Dumitru Goian (ROM) 3-2: 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-13, 11-7
[5/8] Rowan Damming bt Paarth Ambani (IND) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-6
[5/8] Omar Said Sobhy (EGY) bt Abdallah Eissa (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-9, 11-3
Salman Khalil (EGY) bt Florian Stoeger (GER) 3-0: 11-1, 12-10, 11-2
Laszlo Godde (FRA) bt Shaurya Bawa (IND) 3-1: 11-9, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6
[9/16] Mohamed Zakaria (EGY) bt Arthur Pak Ki Law (HKG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-7
[9/16] Brice Nicolas (FRA) bt Low Wa-Sern (MAS) 3-1: 11-6, 8-11, 13-11, 11-5
Jacob Lin (CAN) bt Jack O Flynn (IRL) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-2
David Bernet (SUI) bt Leon Krysiak (POL) 3-0: 11-5, 11-9, 11-6
[2] Noor Zaman (PAK) bt Seojin Oh (KOR) 3-0: 11-3, 11-9, 11-3
2022 WSF Men’s World Junior Championship, Round of 32
[1] Mohammad Hamza Khan (PAK) – Joo Young Na (KOR)Muhammad Ashab Irfan (PAK) – [9/16] Ameeshenraj Chandaran (MAS)
[9/16] Jonah Bryant (ENG) – Melvil Scianimanico (FRA)
Javier Emilio Romo Lopez (ECU) – [5/8] Mohammed Nasser (EGY)
[5/8] Joachim Chuah (MAS) – Joe Smythe (NZL)
Karim Michael (CAN) – [9/16] Sam Osborne-Wylde (ENG)
[9/16] Arnaav Sareen (IND) – Antonin Romieu (FRA)
Avi Agarwal (USA) – (3/4) Finnlay Withington (ENG)
(3/4) Kareem El Torkey (EGY) – Juan Jose Torres Lara (COL)
Tad Carney (USA) – Krishna Mishra (IND)
[9/16] Denis Gilevskiy (IRL) – Oscar Curtis (AUS)
Franklyn Smith (ENG) – [5/8] Rowan Damming
[5/8] Omar Said Sobhy (EGY) – Salman Khalil (EGY)
Laszlo Godde (FRA) – [9/16] Mohamed Zakaria (EGY)
[9/16] Brice Nicolas (FRA) – Jacob Lin (CAN)
David Bernet (SUI) – [2] Noor Zaman (PAK)
2022 WSF Women’s World Junior Championship, Round of 64
[1] Kenzy Ayman (EGY) bt Sonya Sasson (USA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-9, 11-5Chloe Crabbe (BEL) bt Anne Leakey (NZL) 3-2: 11-7, 8-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-2
Maria Min (CAN) bt Thanusaa Uthrian (MAS) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 11-3
[9/16] Asia Harris (ENG) bt Maria Camila Sabogal (RSA) 3-0: 11-5, 12-10, 11-8
[9/16] Xin Ying Yee (MAS) bt Sze Wing Wai (HKG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-9, 11-6
Moa Bonnemark (SWE) bt Maya Weishar (GER) 3-1: 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5
Noa Romero Blazquez (ESP) bt Kurstyn Mather (AUS) 3-1: 11-3, 6-11, 11-4, 11-5
[5/8] Saran Nghiem (ENG) bt Shameena Riaz (IND) 3-1: 8-11, 12-10, 11-0, 11-3
[5/8] Salma El Tayeb (EGY) bt Lilou Brévard (FRA) 3-0: 11-2, 11-2, 11-4
Tse Yee Lam Toby (HKG) bt Hannah Slyth (AUS) 3-0: 12-10, 11-9, 11-6
Savannah Margot Ingledew (RSA) bt Maria Clara Ramirez Velasquez (COL) 3-1: 12-10, 9-11, 13-11, 11-2
[9/16] Nardine Sameh Garas (EGY) bt Spring Ma (CAN) 3-0: 11-2, 11-6, 11-5
[9/16] Sehveetrraa Kumar (MAS) bt Sophie Hodges (NZL) 3-0: 11-5, 11-3, 11-2
Yuvna Gupta (IND) bt Zhi Xuan Goh (MAS) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-5
Khushi Kukadia (USA) bt Rose Lucas-Marcuzzo (FRA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-9
[¾] Aira Azman (MAS) bt Jeanne Dael (BEL) 3-0: 11-4, 11-4, 11-6
[¾] Fayrouz Abouelkheir (EGY) bt Miriam Min-Chen Cheng (HKG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-3, 12-10
Amelie Haworth (ENG) bt Tamara Holzbauerová (CZE) 3-0: 11-3, 11-3, 11-3
Aishwarya Khubchandani (IND) bt Maiden-Lee Coe (NZL) 3-0: 11-2, 11-0, 11-4
[9/16] Lucie Stefanoni (USA) bt Nicola Bentley (RSA) 3-0: 11-3, 11-2, 11-6
[9/16] Anahat Singh (IND) bt Marie Van Riet (BEL) 3-0: 11-1, 11-3, 11-4
Emma Bartley (ENG) bt Sophie Fadaely (AUS) 3-2: 9-11, 11-4, 12-10, 7-11, 11-3
Ona Blasco (ESP) bt Naomi Nohar (NED) 3-0: 11-3, 11-2, 12-10
[5/8] Torrie Malik bt Ana Margarita Quijano (COL) 3-0: 11-3, 11-3, 11-4
[5/8] Malak Khafagy (EGY) bt Emma Trauber (USA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-7
Madison Lyon (AUS) bt Ashton Weir (RSA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-0
Ocean Ma (CAN) bt Ella Galova (FRA) 3-2: 11-8, 11-13, 12-10, 11-13, 11-7
[9/16] Kirstie Po Yui Wong bt Abhisheka Shannon (IND) 3-1: 11-13, 11-3, 11-6, 11-0
[9/16] Caroline Fouts (USA) bt Alex Brown (CAN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-0, 11-0
Akari Midorikawa (JPN) bt Jhansi Bhavsar (US A) 3-1: 14-12, 10-12, 11-8, 11-5
Lauren Baltayan (FRA) bt Rachel Shannon (RSA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-6
[2] Amina Orfi (EGY) bt Erin Classen (AUS) 3-0: 11-3, 11-0, 11-0
2022 WSF Women’s World Junior Championship, Round of 32
[1] Kenzy Ayman (EGY) – Chloe Crabbe (BEL)Maria Min (CAN) – [9/16] Asia Harris (ENG)
[9/16] Xin Ying Yee (MAS) – Moa Bonnemark (SWE)
Noa Romero Blazquez (ESP) – [5/8] Saran Nghiem (ENG)
[5/8] Salma El Tayeb (EGY) – Tse Yee Lam Toby (HKG)
Savannah Margot Ingledew – [9/16] Nardine Sameh Garas (EGY)
[9/16] Sehveetrraa Kumar – Yuvna Gupta (IND)
Khushi Kukadia (USA) – (3/4) Aira Azman (MAS)
(3/4) Fayrouz Abouelkheir (EGY) – Amelie Haworth (ENG)
Aishwarya Khubchandani (IND) – [9/16] Lucie Stefanoni (USA)
[9/16] Anahat Singh (IND) – Emma Bartley (ENG)
Ona Blasco (ESP) – [5/8] Torrie Malik (ENG)
[5/8] Malak Khafagy (EGY) – Madison Lyon (AUS)
Ocean Ma (CAN) – [9/16] Kirstie Po Yui Wong (HKG)
[9/16] Caroline Fouts (USA) – Akari Midorikawa (JPN)
Lauren Baltayan (FRA) – [2] Amina Orfi (EGY)
Pictures courtesy of WSF