British Junior Open Squash 2023: English duo reach under-19 final

England is assured of a first boys’ champion for 21 years in the showpiece under-19 final after a sensational day for the hosts in Birmingham on Saturday.

Lancashire’s Finnlay Withington will meet Jonah Bryant, of Sussex, in Sunday’s final after both English teens came through tight duels.

Bryant, 17, continued his giant-killing exploits by beating Netherlands’ world junior champion and top seed Rowan Damming 11-13, 15-13, 11-9, 11-9 in a 60-minute duel.

The Sussex teen, named after the great Jonah Barrington, is aiming to bag his second BJO title after winning the under-13 final in 2018.

Then, in the final match of a lengthy day, Withington was forced into a five-game thriller before overcoming Pakistan’s Hamza Khan 6-11, 11-5, 15-17, 11-2, 11-4.

As second seed, world junior runner-up Withington will be favourite to land a first title for England since James Willstrop lifted the title in 2002.

Meanwhile, there will be six all-Egyptian finals on Sunday in Birmingham.

Talia Sherif and Lilly Mashaal will contest the girls under-11 final, while there is it’s an Egyptian affair in the boys under-11 finale when Hazem Sarwat and Malek Ahmed take to court. Malika Taymour and Habiba Rizk also contest the girls under-13 final.

Nauman Khan, of Pakistan, came back from two games down to oust Eyad Walid Moussa 3-2 and set up a final with Carlton Capella in the boys under-13 final.

Elsewhere, Amina Orfi, unbeaten in her BJO career, overturned a two-game deficit to squeeze into the girls under-19 final. In the sixth all-Egyptian final on Sunday, she will play Fayrouz Aboelkheir in a battle of the top seeds.

Results

G11
[1] Talia Sherif (Egy) 3-1 [5/8] Habiba Wael (Egy)  11-13, 11-9, 11-8, 11-4 (27m)
Lilly Mashaal (Egy) 3-1 [9/16] Joury Khashabah (Egy)  10-12, 11-1, 11-7, 11-4 (30m)
B11
[1] Hazem Sarwat (Egy) 3-1 [9/16] Aser Samir (Egy)  11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 12-10 (34m)
[3/4] Malek Ahmed (Egy) 3-1 [2] Amr Mostafa (Egy)  11-4, 11-4, 5-11, 11-6 (25m)
G13
[1] Malika Taymour (Egy) 3-0 [3/4] Jinooreeka Ning (Mas)   11-7, 11-5, 11-7 (17m)
[3/4] Habiba Rizk (Egy) 3-2 [9/16] Rama Elnagaar (Egy)   6-11, 11-5, 11-4, 7-11, 11-9 (39m)
B13
[1] Carlton Capella (Usa) 3-1 [3/4] Aiden Yun (Usa)  7-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-8 (35m)
[5/8] Nauman Khan (Pak) 3-2 [2] Eyad Walid Moussa (Egy)   7-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 (47m)
G15
[1] Anahat Singh (Ind) 3-0 [3/4] Malak Samir (Egy)   11-5, 11-4, 11-2 (18m)
[3/4] Sohaila Hazem (Egy) 3-2 [5/8] Ruqayya Salem (Egy)  12-10, 9-11, 12-10, 11-5 (33m)
B15
[9/16] Seif Refaay (Egy) 3-1 [1] Nickleswar Mogansundraham (Mas)   5-11, 11-9, 19-17, 11-8 (73m)
[2] Marwan Asal (Egy) 3-0 Aiden Chi-Ren Chiang (Usa)  11-5, 11-6, 11-7 (28m)
G17
[3/4] Madison Ho (Usa) 3-2 [1] Barb Sameh (Egy)   0-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-3 (45m)
[3/4] Nour Khafagy (Egy) 3-0 [2] Salma El Sheik (Egy)   11-8, 11-8, 11-8 (21m)
B17
[1] Youssef Salem (Egy) 3-2 [5/8] Jooyoung Na (Kor)  11-13, 11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 11-4 (53m)
[3/4] Eyad Hossam (Egy) 3-0 Alexander Dartnell (Usa)  11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (34m)
G19 
[1] Amina Orfi (Egy) 3-2 [3/4] Malak Khagafy (Egy)  9-11, 11-5, 11-13, 13-11, 11-7 (70m)
[2] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (Egy) 3-0 [3/4] Aira Azman (Mas)  11-7, 11-7, 13-11
B19
[9/16] Jonah Bryant (Eng) 3-1 [1] Rowan Damming (Ned)  11-13, 15-13, 11-9, 11-9 (60m)
[2] Finnlay Withington (Eng) 3-2 [3/4] Hamza Khan (Pak)  6-11, 11-5, 15-17, 11-2, 11-4 (55m)

Full results and schedule at www.britishjunioropen.com