Whilst an Egyptian double in today’s WSF World Junior Individual Squash Championships finals was a foregone conclusion, the winners were not after top seed Rowan Reda Araby retained the women’s title as anticipated, but Mostafa Asal upset the seedings after defeating favourite and defending champion Marwan Tarek in straight games in the men’s final at the Express Avenue Mall in the Indian city of Chennai.
The women’s climax was a repeat of the 2017 final – for the first time in the event’s 37-year history. But despite boasting two successive world junior championship wins over second seed Hania El Hammamy, Araby had lost to her compatriot on the previous four occasions – and trails world No.20 El Hammamy 11 positions in the PSA World Rankings.
Araby (pictured above in final action) took the opening two games before a packed crowd at the Chennai shopping mall – then failed to convert three match-balls in the third before Hammamy took the game 12-10 to force a further game.
But the 17-year-old from Alexandria regained her composure in the fourth to close out the match 11-4, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9 in 65 minutes to win the title for a second successive year.
Araby becomes the fourth Egyptian to win back-to-back women’s titles after Raneem El Welily in 2007, Nour El Sherbini in 2013 and Nouran Gohar in 2016.
“It feels amazing,” said Araby later. “I’m so happy! That was my last World Juniors and if I hadn’t won I know I would have been so sad.
“When I got four match balls in the third I started thinking about my birthday, about celebrating with my friends, I just freaked out and went completely out of the court.
“I knew I had to get back to my game plan and concentrate all the way in the fourth. I almost lost that too, at 9-7 down, I fought really hard to try to make it not go to five.
“Looking at the players who have won it twice, Nicol (David), Ramy (Ashour), Raneem (El Welily), Nour (El Sherbini), Marwan (Elshorbagy), and especially Mohamed (Elshorbagy) – he’s my role model, I can’t thank him enough, he’s helped me so much and is always there for me.
“That may be my last junior match, it depends on the British next year, but if it is my last I’m happy to finish with that one!”
The men’s final (both pictured above) also featured the top two seeds and whilst Asal was the second seed, the 17-year-old from 6th of October City is by far the highest-ranked player in the men’s field – at 71, compared with Tarek’s 281.
Furthermore, the match was the pair’s first clash in international competition, though Egyptian sources report two wins by ‘underdog’ Asal over Tarek in recent national junior events.
Asal reached the final without dropping a game – and continued his ‘clean sheet’ in Chennai as he romped to an 11-7, 13-11, 11-4 victory in 45 minutes over Tarek to claim the world junior title for the first time.
“I’m overjoyed to become World Champion,” said Asal. “It’s great that we had two all-Egyptian finals.
“I went into the match with confidence knowing I’d won in Egypt, but I really had to fight hard in the second to keep the momentum going.
“Thanks to Marwan for all the battles we had in Egypt, and I hope he has a great time in Harvard, we’ll miss him and he’ll miss us in Egypt! Thanks also to my coaches and family, and everyone who’s supported me, and especially Shaza Tamer.”
Asal added: “On to the teams now, let’s hope we can get that title back for Egypt.”
Men’s final:
[2] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt [1] Marwan Tarek (EGY) 11-7, 13-11, 11-4 (45m)
Women’s final:
[1] Rowan Reda Araby (EGY) bt [2] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 11-4, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9 (65m)
The WSF Men’s World Junior Team Championship gets underway on Tuesday with Egypt seeded to reclaim the title lost to Pakistan in 2016. Of historic interest is the first appearance in any World Team Squash Championship of Saudi Arabia.
After two days of Pool action, the top two teams in each Pool progress to the last 16 knockout stage.
FULL WORLD JUNIORS COVERAGE
Top seeds through to all-Egyptian finals in Chennai
Posted: 22 Jul 2018 06:56 PM PDT
After dramatic semi-finals at the Express Avenue Mall in the Indian city of Chennai, the WSF World Junior Individual Squash Championships will come to a climax in two all-Egyptian finals – for the fourth time since 2011.
The first place in the finals was claimed by men’s defending champion Marwan Tarek. But the top seed from Cairo was taken the full distance and kept on court for over an hour and a half before finally subduing Cairo compatriot Omar El Torkey (both pictured above) 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 2-11, 11-8.
After “the longest match of my life”, 18-year-old Tarek – who is bidding to become the fourth Egyptian to win back-to-back titles since the illustrious Ramy Ashour in 2006 – admitted: “I was three points from going out of the tournament. It was long and tough but I don’t regret that, it’s the semi-finals of the World Juniors.
“I felt he got a bit tired early in the fifth but he still went ahead. I started thinking about anything but the match and took it point by point. It feels good to have survived that and reach the final again. I hope I’ll play a good match tomorrow – let’s see how it goes!”
As predicted by the seedings, Tarek will face No.2 seed Mostafa Asal in what will be the Cairo-born pair’s first international meeting.
Asal, aged 17 and the highest-ranked player in the draw, recorded his fifth straight straight games win in the championship when he despatched fellow countryman Mostafa El Serty (both pictured above) 11-3, 11-7, 11-7.
“I felt comfortable today,” said Asal, the world No.71 from 6th of October City. “It wasn’t easy but I never felt in real danger. I won the Egyptian U17 and U19 titles with 3/0 wins all through so it’s nice to keep that going!
“Tomorrow it’s mental …… whoever’s mentally strongest will win it!”
Lining up in the women’s final will be top seed Rowan Reda Araby and second seed Hania El Hammamy – who will make history by becoming the first ever pair in the 37-year history of the women’s championship to contest successive finals.
Title-holder Araby, the 17-year-old world No.31 from Alexandria, brushed aside fellow Alexandrian Jana Shiha (both pictured above) 11-5, 13-11, 11-6 in 31 minutes – while El Hammamy, also 17 and ranked 20 in the world, ended non-Egyptian interest in the event after battling to an 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4 win in 44 minutes over England’s Lucy Turmel.
On her close middle game, Araby said: “It’s always the second game. I had no pressure in the first, but I started to feel it in the second. I wanted to win that one, I didn’t want a long match if I was to get to the final.
“I was so happy to win that second, it took the pressure off. I’m pleased to make my third World Junior final, and obviously hoping to keep the title.”
El Hammamy (pictured in semi-final action above), who despite losing to Araby in last year’s final, boasts a 4/2 head-to-head record over her rival: “I’m so happy to be in the final again,” said the event’s No.2 seed. “I’m really enjoying the atmosphere in the Mall, and I’m really looking forward to a good match against Rowan tomorrow.”
Men’s semi-finals:
[1] Marwan Tarek (EGY) 3-2 [3/4] Omar El Torkey (EGY) 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 2-11, 11-8 (92m)
[2] Mostafa Asal (EGY) 3-0 [3/4] Mostafa El Serty (EGY) 11-3, 11-7, 11-7 (33m)
Women’s semi-finals:
[1] Rowan Reda Araby (EGY) 3-0 [5/8] Jana Shiha (EGY) 11-5, 13-11, 11-6 (31m)
[2] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 3-1 [3/4] Lucy Turmel (ENG) 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4 (44m)
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