Squash wonderkid Mohamed Zakaria, the 16-year-old Egyptian currently being tipped as the sport’s next superstar player, is targeting this month’s 12k Ipswich Sports Club Challenger Cup as his next chance to down experienced professional opponents.Zakaria, from Alexandria, dominated the British Junior Open U19’s in Birmingham in January cementing his position as the best junior player in the world. He toppled England’s big hope Jonah Bryant in the final and both players are in the mix at Ipswich for the Challenger Cup sponsored by Security Foiling.Zakaria has been installed as second seed in the men’s event which sits alongside a 12k women’s event, the first time in over a decade that the Ipswich Sports Club has staged two of the highest level PSA World Tour Events the East Region has seen. Both competitions will take place on Feb 13-17 and tickets are available now.Former world top 20 player Declan James continues his comeback from his Achilles injury as does former world No.22 Moustafa Elsirty who has a potential blockbuster quarter final encounter with Zakaria. Local favourite and former top 10 star Daryl Selby is also guaranteed to draw in the crowds.Top seed Katie Malliff returns from a few months out through injury with England’s former top 20 player Millie Tomlinson her projected final opponent.
Fast-rising Asia Harris, who has just moved out of the juniors, will be a threat as No.3 seed. And watch out for Europe’s No.1 junior Lauren Baltayan from France, South American Champion Catalina Pelaez from Colombia and Egypt’s Nour Khafagy.
England’s junior No.1 Amelie Haworth takes one of the three wildcard spots.Notable Round 1 matches:
Lowri Roberts v Ambre Allinckx, Nour Heikal v Amelie Haworth & Katerina Tycova v Hana Ismail. Daryl Selby v Darren Pragasm, Moustafa Elsirty v Sam Buckley, Temwa Chileshe v Miles Jenkins
Tickets available here