Indian players had mixed fortunes on the opening day of the WSF-World Junior squash championship at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai on Wednesday with Rahul Baitha, Yash Fadte and Veer Chotrani progressing to the third round in the men’s section while three others bowed out of the competition.
Baitha beat Swiss player Nils Roesch 11-5, 12-10, 11-8 while Yash Fadte ousted lanky German Abdel Rahman Ghait with a mix of intelligent play and resilience.
However, Advait Adik and Utkarsh Baheti bowed out along with Sankalp Anand.
The top-seed and defending champion Marwan Tarek of Egpyt opened his campaign with a win over Adik in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. The Egyptian did not have it all too easy as Adik matched his rival stroke for stroke at times. The No.1 seed was consistent and that proved the difference in the end as he won 11-5, 11-7, 11-7.
With Chotrani playing late on day one, three Indians moved into the third round.
Listed virtually at the end of the day’s long schedule, Chotrani was all confidence as he wore down the Mikael Ismail of South Africa in straight games.
Important results - (second round, Indians unless mentioned):
Marwan Tarek (1) bt Advait Adik 11-5, 11-7, 11-7;
Muhammad Amir Amirul Azhar (MAS) bt Nicholas Calvert (Aus) 11-4, 10-12, 7-11, 11-4, 11-3;
George Crowne (CAN) bt Ka Hei Ho (HKG) 12-10, 11-2, 11-2;
Curtis Malik (Eng, 13/16) bt Maximillian Baum (GER) 11-3, 11-7, 11-5;
Yehia Elnawasany (Egy, 9/12) bt Sam Buckley (IRL) 11-2, 11-6, 11-6;
Rahul Baitha bt Nils Roesch (Swi) 11-5, 12-10, 11-8;
Mostafa Montaser (Egypt, 5/8) bt Hafiz Zhafri (MAS) 11-2, 15-13, 11-2;
Nicholas Wall (Eng, 5/8) bt Lisandro Ortiz (ARG) 11-2, 11-2, 11-6;
Michael Creaven (IRL) bt Tiber Worth (USA) 11-8, 11-5, 6-11, 13-11;
Abbas Zeb (PAK) bt Elijah Thomas (NZL) 11-4, 11-4, 11-3;
Matias Knudsen (Col, 9/12) bt Alasdair Prott (SCO) 11-1, 11-6, 11-3;
Nils Schwab (GER) bt Utkarsh Baheti 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 5-11, 11-7;
Omar El Torkey (Egypt, 3/4) bt Jacob Ford (AUS) 11-5, 11-2, 11-6;
Mostafa El Serty (Egy, 3/4) bt Manuel Paquemar 11-5, 11-7, 12-10;
Ryan Picken (CAN) bt Thomas Rosini (USA) 11-7, 11-7,11-3;
Yash Fadte bt Abdel Rahma Ghait (GER) 10-12, 11-7, 11-7, 11-6;
Veer Chotrani bt Mikael Ismail (RSA) 11-8 11-8 13-11;
Mostafa Asal (2), EGY, bt Salaheldin Eltorgman, CAN, 13-11 11-2 11-2.
First round results (involving Indians):
Advait Adik bt Harry Lawton (ZIM) 11-5, 11-5, 11-2;
Rahul Baitha bt Eric Kim (USA) 11-8, 12-10, 12-10;
Utkarsh Baheti bt Asad Ullah Khan (PAK) 9-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4;
Chan Chi Ho (HKG) bt Sankalp Anand 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8;
Veer Chotrani bt Maaz Khatri (AUS) 11-8, 11-8, 11-8.