England too strong for New Zealand
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad Correspondent
Fifth seeds Malaysia pulled off the only surprise on the second day of qualifying in the WSF Women’s World Junior Team Squash Championship by beating Hong Kong, the No.4 seeds, 2/1 at the Squashtime Centre in Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
Choi Man Shan put the top seeds in Pool D ahead with a four-game win over Sivasangari Subramaniam, but Malaysia bounced back to secure the tie following impressive wins by Andrea Lee and Zoe Foo Yuk Han.
“They all played well,” Malaysian coach Andrew Cross (pictured above, third from right, with the Malaysian squad) told the event website www.wsfworldjuniors.com later. “But we haven’t won anything yet – now we need to prepare for tomorrow’s quarter-final.”
Further ties will take place today in both Pool C and Pool D – but favourites Egypt and second seeds USA are confirmed as winners of Pool A and B, respectively, after the completion of action in the other two qualifying groups.
England rested Georgina Kennedy for the tie against Zimbabwe but she was back to lead the side to victory against New Zealand alongside Lucy Beecroft and Kent team-mate Amelia Henley. England meet Hong Kong in the quarter-finals.
WSF Women’s World Junior Team Squash Championship, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Second qualifying rounds – Pool A:
[1] EGYPT bt [13/16] SOUTH AFRICA 3/0
Nouran Gohar bt Mariska Wiese 11-6, 11-0, 11-3 (15m)
Mariam Metwally bt Faith Sithole 11-2, 11-5, 11-6 (11m)
Salma Hany Ibrahim bt Cassey Preece 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 (16m)
[8] CANADA bt [9] SWITZERLAND 2/1
Chloe Chemtob bt Cindy Merlo 11-8, 11-8, 11-4 (23m)
Sophie Mehta lost to Celine Walser 11-5, 13-11, 9-11, 6-11, 6-11 (39m)
Maddie O’Connor bt Marija Shpakova 11-6, 11-4, 11-5 (19m)
[1] EGYPT bt [8] CANADA 3/0
Nouran Gohar bt Chloe Chemtob 11-2, 11-4, 11-2 (15m)
Mariam Metwally bt Maddie O’Connor 11-6, 11-5, 11-9 (14m)
Salma Hany Ibrahim bt Grace Thomas 11-6, 11-1, 11-2 (14m)
[9] SWITZERLAND bt [13/16] SOUTH AFRICA 3/0
Cindy Merlo bt Mariska Wiese 11-7, 11-4, 11-2 (16m)
Celine Walser bt Faith Sithole 11-8, 11-2, 11-1 (15m)
Marija Shpakova bt Cassey Preece 11-9, 11-8, 11-7 (16m)
Final positions: 1 Egypt, 2 Canada, 3 Switzerland, 4 South Africa
Pool B:
[2] USA bt [13/16] FINLAND 3/0
Sabrina Sobhy bt Maarit Ekholm 11-1, 11-5, 11-3 (15m)
Reeham Sedky bt Nea Falck 11-1, 11-2, 11-3 (16m)
Casey Wong bt Henrietta Huuhka 11-3, 11-9, 11-4 (16m)
[7] INDIA bt [10] AUSTRALIA 2/1
Adya Advani lost to Lakeesha Rarere 8-11, 3-11, 11-5, 16-14, 4-11 (46m)
Harshit Jawanda bt Samantha Calvert 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 (19m)
Akanksha Salunkhe bt Victoria Leow 11-5, 11-4, 11-3 (19m)
[2] USA bt [7] INDIA 3/0
Sabrina Sobhy bt Adya Advani 11-4, 11-5, 11-9 (21m)
Reeham Sedky bt Harshit Jawanda 11-3, 11-2, 11-4 (23m)
Kayley Leonard bt Akanksha Salunkhe 11-7, 12-10, 4-11, 11-8 (25m)
[10] AUSTRALIA bt [13/16] FINLAND 2/1
Lakeesha Rarere bt Riina Koskinen 11-6, 3-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8 (36m)
Samantha Calvert bt Maarit Ekholm 11-9, 12-10, 11-4 (27m)
Rachael Gibson lost to Nea Falck 9-11, 5-11, 11-7, 9-11 (21m)
Final positions: 1 USA, 2 India, 3 Australia, 4 Finland
Pool C:
[3] ENGLAND bt [17/18] ZIMBABWE 3/0
Amelia Henley bt Carley Barton 11-1, 11-2, 11-2 (13m)
Lucy Beecroft bt Shannon O’Donovan 11-1, 11-1, 11-2 (10m)
Lucy Turmel bt Kuzivakwashe Madungwe 11-2, 11-2, 11-3 (14m)
[11] FRANCE bt [13/16] BELGIUM 2/1
Laura Gamblin lost to Tinne Gilis 5-11, 8-11, 11-3, 6-11 (30m)
Elise Romba bt Kato Verwilt 11-4, 11-0, 11-2 (14m)
Laura Paquemar bt Anouk Feys 11-6, 11-8, 11-2 (19m)
[3] ENGLAND bt [6] NEW ZEALAND 3/0
Georgina Kennedy bt Eleanor Epke 11-3, 11-4, 11-3 (18m)
Amelia Henley bt Abbie Palmer 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 (19m)
Lucy Beecroft bt Juee Bhide 11-9, 11-3, 11-6 (22m)
[13/16] BELGIUM bt [17/18] ZIMBABWE 3/0
Tinne Gilis bt Carley Barton 11-2, 11-3, 11-4 (14m)
Kato Verwilt bt Shannon O’Donovan 11-7, 11-3, 11-8 (15m)
Anouk Feys bt Kuzivakwashe Madungwe 11-2, 11-2, 11-8 (16m)
Pool D:
[4] HONG KONG CHINA bt [17/18] GUYANA 3/0
Ho Ka Wing bt Akeila Wiltshire 11-7, 11-4, 11-7 (21m)
Lui Hiu Lam Bubble bt Larissa Wiltshire 11-6, 11-5, 11-2 (17m)
Cheng Nga Ching bt Taylor Fernandes 11-2, 11-5, 11-3 (16m)
[12] GERMANY bt [13/16] NETHERLANDS 3/0
Saskia Beinhard bt Elena Wagenmans 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 (21m)
Nele Hatschek bt Sanne Veldkamp 11-6, 11-8, 11-7 (25m)
Ramona Bauer bt Fleur Maas 11-8, 11-5, 11-6 (17m)
[5] MALAYSIA bt [4] HONG KONG CHINA 2/1
Sivasangari Subramaniam lost to Choi Man Shan 14-16, 9-11, 13-11, 9-11 (48m)
Andrea Lee bt Ho Ka Wing 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8 (41m)
Zoe Foo Yuk Han bt Lui Hiu Lam Bubble 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 (23m)
[13/16] NETHERLANDS bt [17/18] GUYANA 3/0
Elena Wagenmans bt Akeila Wiltshire 11-3, 11-5, 11-5 (18m)
Sanne Veldkamp bt Larissa Wiltshire 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 (29m)
Fleur Maas bt Gabrielle Fraser 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9 (33m)
Event website: wsfworldjuniors.com
Pictures courtesy of SquashSite and from social media