Top seed and defending champion Marwan Tarek of Egypt eased into the fourth round of the under-19 category with a straight-forward win over Malaysia’s Muhammaed Amir Amirul Azhar in the WSF-World Junior Squash Championship at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai on Friday.
Tarek gave little leeway to his rival and finished off rallies without much fuss to run away a 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 winner in just 34 minutes. Later, Tarek’s compatriot Mostafa Asal, seeded two, made short work of India’s Veer Chotrani 11-9, 11-8, 11-6 in 31 minutes.
For the Indians seeking to make an impact, things did not go well as they were faced with tthe predicament of being pitted against tough opponents, be it in the men’s or women’s sections.
Rahul Baitha looked too tired for a fight against Egyptian Mostafa Montaser and went down 4-11, 4-11, 9-11. The other home player, Yash Fadte, went down fighting to England’s James Wyatt (seeded 9/12) 8-11, 6-11, 11-5, 9-11 in 53 minutes.
In the women’s event, Aishwarya Khubchandani came up against the second-seed Hania El Hammamy of Egypt in the second round and lost 6-11, 5-11, 9-11 while another Egyptian Ingy Hammouda (seeded 9-12) ended the hopes of another Indian, Sanya Vats, winning 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9.
Ashita Bhengra, a local girl, had the misfortune of running into the top-seed and defending champion Rowan Reda Araby (Egypt) in the second round and succumbed to a 4-11, 8-11, 2-11 in just 20 minutes, ending the Indian challenge in the competition. Bhengra had defeated Grace Pattison in 7-11, 11-8, 11-6. 9-11, 11-4 in the first round.
The day’s biggest cheers were reserved for the unseeded Singapore girl Sneha Sivakumar who upset the 5/8 seed Elize Lazarus of England in four games for a place in the pre-quarterfinal.
Important results:
Men’s third round:
Marwan Tarek (1) bt Muhammad Amir Amirul Azhar 11-8, 11-8, 11-8; George Crowne (Canada) bt Curtis Malik (Eng, 13/16) 4-11, 13-11, 11-4, 11-6; Yehia Elnawasany (Egy, 9/12) bt Matthew Lucente (NZ) 11-5, 11-5, 12-14, 11-5; Mostafa Montaser (Egy, 5/8) bt Rahul Baitha (Ind) 11-4, 11-9, 11-9; Nicholas Wall (Eng, 5/8) bt Michael Creaven (Ire) 11-4 11-4 11-7. Matias Knudsen (Col, 9/12) bt Abbas Zeb (Pak) 4-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-3; Omar El Torkey (Egypt, 3/4) bt Nils Schwab (Ger) 11-5, 11-5, 11-2; Mostafa El Serty (Egy, 3/4) bt Ryan Picken (Can) 11-9, 11-8, 11-9; Leonel Cardenas (Mex, 5/8) bt Haris Qasim (Pak) 11-5, 11-6, 11-1.
Women (first round):
Ashita Bhengra (Ind) bt Grace Pattison (Aus) 7-11, 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-4; Chan Yiwen (Mal, 13/16) bt Elisabeth Ross (US) 11-4, 11-3, 11-6; Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) bt Meghna Sreedhar (US) 11-5, 11-6, 11-4; Elle Ruggiero (US) bt Yoshna Singh (Ind) 11-8, 11-7, 11-7.
Farida Mohamed (Egy, 13/16) bt Jannia Singh (Ind) 11-6, 11-8, 11-4; Chan Sin Yuk (HKG, 13/16) bt Ananya Dabke (Ind) 11-9, 11-8, 11-2; Ingy Hammouda (Egy, 9/12) bt Annaleise Faint (NZ) 11-2, 11-0, 11-4; Sanya Vats (Ind) bt Polite Mubure (Zim) 11-7, 11-6, 11-3; Sneha Sivakumar (Singapore) bt Aira Azman (Mal) 11-6, 11-5, 3-11, 11-2; Aishwarya Khubchandani (Ind) bt Teagan Roux (US) 11-6 11-5 11-6.