Alex Broadbridge and Mariam Eissa have been named as the Under 19 top seeds for the MB Nottingham English Junior Championships (EJC) in Nottingham from 7-9 February.
Current European no.1 Broadbridge (Hants) and 15-year-old British junior champion Eissa (Warwicks) will bid to join the event’s prestigious roll of honour which includes Commonwealth Games gold medal winners Declan James and Georgina Kennedy.
This year’s EJC features a new format with each of the six age categories for boys and girls set to feature a 16-player monrad main draw. The top 12 seeded players will be joined by four qualifiers, with a maximum of 16 players in each qualifying draw.
Broadbridge is scheduled for a potential BU19 final showdown with second seed Dylan Roberts (Kent), but may first have to negotiate 3/4 seed Michael Chak (Surrey) in the semi-finals if the draw goes with the seedings. Meanwhile, recent Manchester Junior Open runner-up Roberts is seeded to face Jake Sim-Baskar (Sussex) in the semis.
Eissa, who was runner-up at last year’s EJC despite being four years younger than many of her competitors, heads back to Nottingham as title favourite, but 3/4 seed Olivia Owens (Worcs) is likely to stand in her way in the semi-finals and second seed Emily Coulcher-Porter (Bucks) may lie in wait in the final. Last year’s GU17 winner Coulcher-Porter is seeded to face Megan Light (Hants) in the semis.
Gabriel Chak (Surrey), winner of the Manchester Junior Open before Christmas, is BU17 top seed in Nottingham, but will expect a stiff challenge from his county team-mate Indie Flint, the second seed. Chak is due to face another Surrey player, Luke McBride, in the semis, while Flint faces a tough assignment in recent British Junior Open BU15 finalist [3/4] Ali Khalil (Warwicks).
Harriet Broadbridge (Hants), younger sister of Alex, will be aiming to make it a household double as she heads into the GU17 as top seed. The British junior champion is seeded to face [3/4] Ava Fox (Norfolk) in the semi-finals, while [2] Renata Colabella (Kent) is on course for a semi-final with [3/4] Fearne Copley (Yorks).
Matthew Leung (Gloucs), runner-up at last year’s ProAir British Junior Championships, heads to Nottingham as BU15 top seed, with Joe Colton (Surrey) as second seed. Leung is on course for a semi-final with [3/4] William Burton (Suffolk) while Colton could face Surrey team-mate [3/4] Jaanshere Khan.
British U15 junior champion Ameerah Ismail is one of many strong title contenders from Warwickshire and heads into the GU15 as favourite. She is seeded to face [2] Esther Chak (Surrey) in the final but may first have to see off Phoebe Griffiths (Hants), while Chak is expected to contest a semi-final against [3/4] Sophie Vail (Hants).
Oscar and Finley Brown (Leics) are first and second seeds respectively in the BU13 draw. The twins dominated England Squash junior events in 2024, but their sternest tests are likely to come from 3/4 seeds Ben Lamond (Dorset) and Jacob Askey (Warwicks) who are scheduled to face Oscar and Finley respectively in the semi-finals.
With Nadiya Ismail entering the age group above as 5/8 seed in the GU15, Sienna Hampshaw (Yorks) is named top seed in the GU13. The 2024 British junior GU13 runner-up is expected to face Siona Mishra (Warwicks) in the semi-finals, while second seed Maya Goel (Surrey) is in the same half of the draw as Rida Ali (Sussex).
James Swinden (Yorks), who finished 13th in January’s British Junior Open and won the BU11 title in the British Junior Championships, starts as BU11 top seed in Nottingham. Thomas Earwicker (Surrey) is second seed and is expected to play [3/4] Naishe Matamisa (Warwicks) in the semi-finals, with Swinden facing [3/4] Archibald McLeod (Warwicks).
Ada Brown tops the GU11 seedings and can expect a semi-final with [3/4] Abigail Zeng (Avon) while [2] Olivia Holbrook (Hants) is in the same half of the draw as [3/4] Sara Ibrahim (Sussex).
[1] Cristian Law (Herts) and [2] Keaton Fiander-Derry (Surrey) lead the charge for the BU9 title. If both win their respective groups, they are scheduled to face 3/4 seeds Musa Meer-Khan (Berks) and Eyad Mahmood (Lancs) respectively in the semi-finals.The GU9 is organised into a round-robin group of four, with Evie Hennings (Surrey) topping the seeds and [2] Maebh Lovely (Lancs) in hot pursuit. Holly Thompson (Avon) is seeded three with Darcey Harris (Northants) fourth seed.