EUROPEAN SQUASH NEWS
RESULTS: German Junior Open Squash Championships, Germering, Germany
Men’s U-19 quarter-finals:
[1] Declan James (ENG) bt [5/8] Quint Mandil (FRA) 11-8, 11-9, 10-12, 11-3
[5/8] Valentin Rapp (GER) bt [9/16] Jack Jago (ENG) 7-11, 11-8, 2-11, 11-9, 11-9
[3] Greg Lobban (SCO) bt Simon Vaclahovsky (GER) 11-4, 11-7, 11-3
[2] Tom de Mulder (BEL) bt [5/8] Jerome Dadot (FRA) 9-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-8, 11-8
Semi-finals:
[1] Declan James (ENG) bt [5/8] Valentin Rapp (GER) 11-4, 11-8, 11-7
[2] Tom de Mulder (BEL) bt [3] Greg Lobban (SCO) 11-6, 11-4, 11-13, 12-10
Final:
[1] Declan James (ENG) bt [2] Tom de Mulder (BEL) 11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9
Third place play-off:
[5/8] Valentin Rapp (GER) bt [3] Greg Lobban (SCO) 11-8, 11-1, 11-5
Women’s U-19 quarter-finals:
[1] Tesni Evans (WAL) bt [5/8] Fabienne Oppliger (SUI) 11-9, 11-3, 11-5
[4] Oxane Ah Hu (FRA) bt [5/8] May El Atmas (EGY) 14-12, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8
[3] Laila Omar (EGY) bt [5/8] Brogan Lane (ENG) 11-7, 11-7, 11-5
[2] Cyrielle Peltier (FRA) bt Caroline Sayegh (GER) 11-7, 11-5, 11-6
Semi-finals:
[1] Tesni Evans (WAL) bt [4] Oxane Ah Hu (FRA) 11-4, 11-6, 11-4
[3] Laila Omar (EGY) bt [2] Cyrielle Peltier (FRA) 11-9, 14-12, 11-4
Final:
[3] Laila Omar (EGY) bt [1] Tesni Evans (WAL) 8-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8
Third place play-off:
[2] Cyrielle Peltier (FRA) bt [4] Oxane Ah Hu (FRA) 11-2, 8-11, 11-1, 11-1
Declan James & Laila Omar Win German Junior Open Titles
England’s Declan James and Egypt’s Laila Omar won the Under-19 titles in the German Junior Open Squash Championships after surviving four-game finals in the European Squash Federation Junior Circuit Super Seriesevent in Germering.
The top two seeds battled for the men’s title after favourite Declan James beat Germany’s 5/8 seed Valentin Rapp in straight games, and second-seeded Belgian Tom de Mulder overcame Scotland’s No3 seed Greg Lobban in four games in the semi-finals.
But, fresh from his title success in the English Junior U19 Championship earlier in the month, 17-year-old Declan James dug deep in the final to hold off De Mulder’s challenge, beating the 17-year-old from Ghent 11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9.
James, from Nottingham, becomes the first English winner of the prestigious ESF title since world No19 Alister Walker ten years ago.
The women’s event climaxed in an unexpected final when top seed Tesni Evans faced third seed Laila Omar. Evans claimed her anticipated place in the final after dismissing France’s fourth seed Oxane Ah Hu in straight games, while Omar made her breakthrough in the other semi-final by upsetting France’s second seed Cyrielle Peltier 11-9, 14-12, 11-4.
Tesni Evans, the winner of the Welsh Junior U19 Open title earlier in the month, was celebrating becoming the first Welsh German Junior U19 Open finalist this millennium.
And the 18-year-old from Rhyl took the opening game in the final before 15-year-old Omar began to take control of the play, ultimately closing out the match 8-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8 to become the first Egyptian winner of the title for four years.
– ENDS –