Salman Khalil, the Egyptian [5/8] seed, provided this year’s WSF World Junior Squash Championships with another major shock as he stunned English top seed Jonah Bryant in straight games to reach the semi-final in Melbourne Sports Centres.
The odds seemed stacked against Khalil ahead of his clash with the Englishman, with the Egyptian’s match against Bryant his first on the glass court at this year’s tournament.
Khalil, however, adapted instantly, with his patient gameplan and excellent retrieval skills stifling the attack-minded Bryant.
In an entertaining opener, Khalil saved three game balls before converting his own at 14-13.
That win, along with the vocal support of the Egyptian team, appeared to spur Khalil on and the Cairo native took the second game 11-4 and then wrapped up the contest with an 11-8 win in game three, which he celebrated exuberantly, climbing onto the top of the back wall.
Afterwards, he said: “It felt amazing! It was a tough match and I had in my mind that it wouldn’t be easy but coming through in three is an honour!
Salman Khalil never gives up! 😤
Real tenacity from 🇪🇬 Khalil to keep himself in the rally before pouncing as he takes on Jonah Bryant for a place in the WSF World Junior Squash Championships semi-final
📺 Watch on https://t.co/SklT093o2H and Olympic Channel@MasrSquash pic.twitter.com/XORxRdmu7l
— World Squash (@WorldSquash) July 21, 2023
“I really wanted to share the moment with my teammates and coaches, who have supported me a lot. In every game, there’s a big point and they helped me break that barrier.”
That win for Khalil, coupled with Hollis Robertson’s shock victory over No.2 seed and defending champion Rowan Damming yesterday, means that his opponent tomorrow, 15-year-old [3/4] seed and compatriot Mohamed Zakaria, is now the joint highest seed after Zakaria overcame Colombia’s Juan Jose Torres 3-0.
Hamza Khan, the other [3/4] seed, was tested severely today by lightning-fast Malaysian [5/8] seed Joachim Chuah, but was able to dig in and clinch a 3-1 victory in one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament.
Khan will face [9/16] seed Melvil Scianimanico tomorrow after the Frenchmen held off fellow [9/16] seed Hollis Robertson in a tense five-game battle.
A win for Khan would make him the first Pakistan player to reach the final of the WSF World Junior Squash Championships since Aamir Atlas Khan in 2008.
In the women’s draw, the seeded players continued to show their quality, with all but one progressing in straight games.
[3/4] seed Malak Khafagy was the sole woman to drop a game, with the Egyptian looking rattled by the impressive accuracy of 15-year-old [5/8] seed Anahat Singh of India as Singh took the opening game 12-10.Khafagy eventually managed to settle into a rhythm, with her powerful attacks eventually proving too much for Singh to handle as the 18-year-old took the match 3-1.
Khafagy will face compatriot Amina Orfi tomorrow, with the top seed and defending champion yet to drop a game after a 12-10, 11-4, 11-2 win over fellow Egyptian Zeina Zein.
The other semi-final will be contested by Egyptian No.2 seed Fayrouz Aboelkheir and Malaysian [3/4] seed Aira Azman, with Aboelkheir coming through a physical encounter with American [5/8] seed Caroline Fouts and Azman recording a 21-minute victory over French [9/16] seed Lauren Baltayan.
The semi-finals of the 2023 WSF World Junior Squash Championships take place tomorrow (22 July).
Play begins at 14:00 (GMT+10) with all semi-final matches taking place on the glass court and being streamed for free on worldsquash.tv and the Olympic Channel.
The place playoffs and plate matches will also be streamed on worldsquash.tv from 11:00.
For viewers in Australia, highlights of the day’s action will be available shortly on 7plus.
Follow the tournament on the official tournament website, wsfworldjuniors.com
Results: 2023 WSF World Junior Squash Championships – Men’s Quarter-Final
[5/8] Salman Khalil (EGY) bt [1] Jonah Bryant (ENG) 3-0: 15-13, 11-4, 11-8 (52m)
[3/4] Mohamed Zakaria (EGY) bt [5/8] Juan Jose Torres (COL) 3-0: 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 (49m)
[3/4] Hamza Khan (PAK) bt [5/8] Joachim Chuah (MAS) 3-1: 11-8, 9-11, 11-2, 12-10 (64m)
[9/16] Melvil Scianimanico (FRA) bt [9/16] Hollis Robertson (USA) 3-2: 11-9, 6-11, 11-2, 9-11, 11-8 (64m)
Results: 2023 WSF World Junior Squash Championships – Women’s Quarter-Final
[1] Amina Orfi (EGY) bt [5/8] Zeina Zein (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 12-10 (42m)
[3/4] Malak Khafagy (EGY) bt [5/8] Anahat Singh (IND) 3-1: 10-12, 11-8, 11-7, 11-2 (36m)
[3/4] Aira Azman (MAS) bt [9/16] Lauren Baltayan (FRA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-9, 11-6 (21m)
[2] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) bt [5/8] Caroline Fouts (USA) 3-0: 11-5, 14-12, 11-5 (34m)
Draw: 2023 WSF World Junior Squash Championships – Men’s Semi-Final
[5/8] Salman Khalil (EGY) v [3/4] Mohamed Zakaria (EGY)
[9/16] Melvil Scianimanico (FRA) v [3/4] Hamza Khan (PAK)
Draw: 2023 WSF World Junior Squash Championships – Women’s Semi-Final
[1] Amina Orfi (EGY) v [3/4] Malak Khafagy (EGY)
[2] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) v [3/4] Aira Azman (MAS)