Spain and Malaysia bow out in semi-final battles
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad Correspondent
For the sixth time in a row, Egypt and Pakistan will line up in the final of the WSF Men’s World Junior Team Squash Championship.
The event’s top two seeds survived testing semi-finals in the biennial World Squash Federation championship being staged at the Wanderers Sports Club in the Namibia capital Windhoek.
Both teams are poised to claim a record-equalling fifth title – favourites Egypt bidding to become the first nation since England in 2000 to win three titles in a row.
Egypt beat Spain 2/0, but were stretched to the limit by the sixth seeds who were making their first ever appearance in the event’s semi-finals.
Top string Omar Elatmas put the defending champions ahead with a 10-12, 12-10, 11-4, 11-5 victory over Edmon Lopez Moller.
Egypt’s No3 Karim El Hammamy then grinded out a 10-12, 11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6 win in 85 minutes against the determined Bernat Jaume (pictured above in action with El Hammamy) in a match which was suspended for about 15 minutes after the Spaniard sustained a cut below his right knee.
Earlier 2008 champions Pakistan ended Malaysia’s impressive run in the championship, beating the fifth seeds 2/0. The Malaysian team upset third seeds England in the previous round, denying the four-time champions a place in the last four for the first time in the 34-year history of the championship.
Pakistan number one Tayyab Aslam (pictured right in semi-final action) led the way with an 11-5, 5-11, 11-6, 11-8 win over Mohd Syafiq Kamal before third string Muhammad Asim Khan wrapped up his country’s tenth appearance in the final by defeating Darren Chan 11-5, 11-7, 11-9.
“It’s going to be a tough final against Egypt,” said Pakistani official Gogi Alauddin. “But I am looking forward to it as I know that my boys have big hearts and can handle the pressure,” added the former world No3.
WSF World Junior Team Squash Championship, Windhoek, Namibia
Final:
[1] EGYPT v [2] PAKISTAN
3rd place play-off:
[6] SPAIN v [5] MALAYSIA
5th place play-off:
[3] ENGLAND v [4] INDIA
7th place play-off:
[7] FINLAND v [8] IRELAND
9th place play-off:
[11] ISRAEL v [12] USA
11th place play-off:
[9] COLOMBIA v [13/15] FRANCE
13th place play-off:
[10] CANADA v [13/15] ARGENTINA
15th place play-off:
[16/18] KUWAIT v [19/21] SWEDEN
17th place play-off:
[16/18] NEW ZEALAND v [16/18] SOUTH AFRICA
19th place play-off:
[13/15] GERMANY v [19/21] ZIMBABWE
21st place play-off:
[22/23] NAMIBIA v [19/21] GUATEMALA
RESULTS – Semi-finals:
[1] EGYPT bt [6] SPAIN 2/0
Omar Elatmas bt Edmon Lopez Moller 10-12, 12-10, 11-4, 11-5 (68m)
Karim El Hammamy bt Bernat Jaume 10-12, 11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6 (85m)
[2] PAKISTAN bt [5] MALAYSIA 2/0
Tayyab Aslam bt Mohd Syafiq Kamal 11-5, 5-11, 11-6, 11-8 (48m)
Muhammad Asim Khan bt Darren Chan 11-5, 11-7, 11-9 (45m)
5th – 8th place play-offs:
[4] INDIA bt [8] IRELAND 2/0
Kush Kumar bt Michael Craig 5-11, 11-7, 11-1, 11-6 (39m)
Velavan Senthilkumar bt Oisin Logan 12-10, 11-9, 15-13 (44m)
[3] ENGLAND bt [7] FINLAND 2/0
George Parker bt Jami Aijanen 9-11, 11-2, 8-11, 11-3, 11-4 (50m)
Patrick Rooney bt Miko Aijanen 11-9, 11-1, 11-4 (26m)
9th – 12th place play-offs:
[11] ISRAEL bt [13/15] FRANCE 2/1
Daniel Poleshchuk bt Enzo Corigliano 11-2, 11-7, 11-6 (31m)
Noam Peer lost to Lucas Rousselet 6-11, 11-8, 9-11, 7-11 (42m)
Roee Avraham bt Benjamin Aubert 11-6, 13-11, 11-4 (42m)
[12] USA bt [9] COLOMBIA 2/1
Derek Hsue lost to Andres Felipe Herrera 5-11, 10-12, 6-11 (38m)
Max D Reed bt Dairo Sandoval 11-7, 6-11, 9-11, 11-6, 15-13 (55m)
Timothy Robert Brownell bt Santiago Orozco 11-5, 11-5, 11-5 (30m)
13th – 16th place play-offs:
[13/15] ARGENTINA bt [16/18] KUWAIT 2/1
Federico Cioffi bt Ali Alqallaf 11-6, 11-3, 11-5 (21m)
Juan Segundo Barreyro lost to Mohammad Alterki 9-11, 1-6 ret.
Franco Andres Romiglio bt Khaled Al-Jenaidel 8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6
[10] CANADA bt [19/21] SWEDEN 3/0
David Baillargeon bt Pontus Rengbo 11-9, 11-8, 11-7 (30m)
Michael Thompson bt Alexander Lundqvist 11-8, 11-4, 15-13 (32m)
Jarryd Osborne bt Tor Christoffersen 14-12, 11-13, 11-3 (20m)
17th – 20th place play-offs:
[16/18] NEW ZEALAND bt [19/21] ZIMBABWE 3/0
Scott Galloway bt Tafadzwa Mushunje 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 (26m)
Chapman Kutia bt Bryn Turk 11-2, 11-3, 11-2 (19m)
Luke Jones bt Innocent Mukumba 11-0, 11-4 (16m)
[16/18] SOUTH AFRICA bt [13/15] GERMANY 2/1
Laurence Kuhn bt Lucas Wirths 13-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5 (43m)
Jean-Pierre van de Merwe bt Yannick Omlor 4-11, 13-15, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9 (60m)
Aubrey Lawrence lost to Niklas Becher 10-12, 8-11 (23m)
21st – 24th place play-off:
[19/21] GUATEMALA bt [22/23] BOTSWANA 3/0
Ricardo Toscano bt Theo Pelonomi 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (20m)
Junior Alejandro Enriquez bt Micky Joseph 11-7, 11-5, 11-9 (26m)
Qaini Bonilla bt Elliot Msindisi Sibanda 11-5, 11-2 (12m)
Â
Pictures courtesy of WSF