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TODAY at the BJO: Day FOUR, Thu 5th
Steve Cubbins reports
from Sheffield |
Day four and it
was semi-finals in all events except the girls under 13, plus lots of
play-off matches ....
G15 quarter-finals
B19 Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt Omar Mosaad
(Egy)
9/3, 9/6, 8/10, 9/5
B19 Aamir Atlas Khan (Pak) bt Chris Simpson
(Eng)
9/7, 6/9,
9/6, 10/8 (96m)
B17 Joe Lee (Eng) bt Norman Junge (Ger)
9/1, 9/3, 9/1
B17 Mohamed A A Reda (Egy) v Shohaib Hassan (Pak)
10/8, 9/5, 9/5
(67m)
B15 Mohamed El Shourbagy (Egy)
bt Karim Abdel (Egy)
7/9, 6/9, 9/4, 9/7, 9/4
(80m)
B15 Adel Zarka (Egy) bt Farhan Zaman (Pak)
9/6, 9/5, 5/9, 9/4
B13 Hamze Bokhari (Pak) bt Mohamed Abo Ghar (Egy)
9/5, 8/10, 9/7, 9/4
(47m)
B13 Karim Fathy (Egy) bt Nasir Iqbal (Pak)
9/1, 9/1, 5/9, 9/4
G19 Raneem El Weleily
(Egy) bt Rachel Willmott (Eng)
9/3, 9/6, 9/1
G19 Lina El Tannir (Egy) bt Nihal Yehia (Egy)
4/9, 5/9,
9/3, 9/5, 9/5
G17 Camille Serme (Fra) bt Aliaa
Balbaa (Egy)
1/9, 9/6, 9/2, 9/5
(48m)
G17 Wee Wern Low (Mas) bt Nour Mohsen (Egy)
3/9, 9/6, 9/4, 9/1
G15 Heba Alaa El Torky bt Nouran
Abaa Al Torky
9/5, 9/7, 9/6
G15 Laura Gemmell bt Tsz Ling Liu
9/2, 9/2, 9/1
(27m) |
RESULTS LISTING
EN Bref Issue #4
Joe Lee -
England's only finalist |
Boys U19
Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt Omar Mosaad (Egy)
9/3, 9/6, 8/10, 9/5 |
Ramy tested by Omar
Top seed Ramy Ashour dropped his first game of the tournament as he
progressed to tomorrow's final, and he wasn't happy about it.
After a strong start, with Ramy's shotmaking prowess to the fore, Omar held
the world junior champion at the start of the second game, leading 6/4
before Ramy upped the pace to quickly double his lead.
 The
third game was quite scrappy, with the score stuck at 2-all and 3-all as let
after let was played.
The deadlock was broken as Ashour sprinted to 7/3 with a series of winners,
but the game became bogged downt again as Mosaad worked his way back into
contention, eventually taking it 10/8 as Ashour was denied lets on the final
two points.
Omar quickly went 4/0 up in the fourth, thanks to two strokes and two tins
from Ashour, but the favours were returned as Ashour closed out the match
courtesy of six tins and two strokes from his opponent and a solitary winner
from his own racket.
Not the best game Ashour has ever played, but he's in the final, and he's
determined to do better ...
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 "I
shouldn't have lost the third game, I was 7/3 up, hitting good shots and
was in control. Then I started to try flicking the ball instead of
hitting it and it didn't work, I shouldn't have changed anything.
"I've got to learn that when I'm winning by playing a certain way to
stick to it.
"I'm not happy with that game. Thanks to God I won, but next time I'll
try my best to win 3/0.
"I've played Chris and Aamir before, and beaten them both, so I don't
mind who I play in the final ... it will be a good match whoever it is."
Ramy Ashour |
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Six in a row for Raneem ?
Whether Raneem El Weleily makes it six titles in a row we'll see tomorrow,
but she reached her sixth successive final by beating England's last girls
hope Rachel Willmott in straight game.
 The
Egyptian started strong favourite, and it wasn't long into the first game
the the top seed started to catch Willmott out with with her delicate boasts
and drops, taking the first 9/3.
Willmott competed strongly in the second, and the rallies were long and
well-contested, although it always seemed that the Egyptian was the one who
could produce the winning shot when the occasion arose. Raneem held the lead
throughout, and finished it 9/6 with a delightful volley-drop.
The third was over quickly, even a broken racket at 5/1 failing to stop
Raneem's progress into the final, where she faces compatriot and second seed
Lina El Tannir, who came from two down to beat Nehl Yehia.
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"I don't have a game plan, I just try to keep the ball tight, keep it
deep to the back, and go for my shots when the opportunity arises, it's
not actually a plan ..."
Raneem El Weleily |
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Lina El Tannir (Egy) bt Nihal Yehia (Egy)
4/9, 5/9, 9/3, 9/5, 9/5 |
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 "When
I was two-love down I remembered my coach Gamal Awad, who died two years
ago. He was my god father in squash and thinking of him helped me to win.
"I changed my plan, playing to the forehand more. Karim is a very good
player, he's very good on the backhand and I knew I needed to concentrate
hard to beat him."
"I'd like to thank my coach Mohamed Medhat, Dr Farhat my fitness trainer and
my mother and father.
Mohamed El Shourbagy
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G17
Camille Serme (Fra) bt Aliaa Balbaa (Egy)
1/9, 9/6, 9/2, 9/5
(48m) |
Serme Seals French Finalist
France's top seed Camille Serme looked down and out after the first game of
her semi-final against Aliaa Balbaa.
The Egyptian was in total control, placing the ball where she liked and
hitting lovely winners from deep drop shots, crisp drives and boasts just
millimetres above the tin.
The two girls appeared well-matched physically, but Balbaa'a range of shots
and precision looked to be too much for Serme to handle.
But the French girl proved yesterday how determined she is, and despite
going 5/1 down in the second she never stopped running, never stopped
believing. The rallies lengthened as Serme pushed Balbaa further and further
to the back, and started to read her boasts. She levelled at 6-all and an
apparently tiring Balbaa gifted her the last three points to level.
The third was one way traffic, with Serme constantly in front, helped by
several of Balbaa's shots that just clipped the tin.
The pattern continued in the fourth. It wasn't easy, far from it, but Serme
worked her way to 6/0 before a few nerves set in and she allowed the
Egyptian a glimmer of hope.
But on her third match ball a low hard drive clinched the place in the
final, and a well-deserved one at that.
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"It was the same as yesterday, a
similar match where the second game was crucial.
"After the first game I thought "impossible", the Egyptian was so fast,
and those boasts were so good.
"But we knew that Aliaa doesn't tend to concentrate over long matches,
I've seen her before where after the second game she's not tired, but
less concentrated.
"Camille got a lot of dividends playing deep to the forehand side where
Aliaa is weaker, preventing her from attacking.
"I was getting nervous when Aliaa started to come back in the last game,
but it's great to see Camille in the final. This is her fifth BJO and
she's always lost in the quarters, usually to the eventual champion."
Philippe Signoret
French Coach |
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B17 Joe Lee
(Eng) bt Norman Junge (Ger)
9/1, 9/3, 9/1 |
AN ENGLISH FINALIST
It's been a while since the Sheffield fans have been able to support one of
their own in a BJO final, an Joe Lee probably wasn't among the favourites to
provide one at the start of the week.
But the son of former pro Danny, now resident coach at St George's in
Surrey, has blossomed this week, maybe taking advantage of some earlier
upsets in the draw, but has developed over the week to the stage where the
England entourage were expecting him to win this semi-final.
And they weren't disappointed. The match was a complete contrast to Junge's
epic with South African Rudi Willemse last night. Whereas that was pure
energy, blood and thunder played at a relentless pace, tonight was a much
calmer affair.
From the start Joe was controlling the play, taking the ball early, placing
it to the four corners of the court, and for the most part Junge was simply
at a loss as to how to disrupt the pattern.
The rallies were long, but the Englishman's dominance was never in doubt,
and from early in the third Junge began to flag. "No legs left," said
Annette Pilling, and it was true enough.
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 "I
think his earlier matches caught up with him a bit. The court was very
hot, which suits my game, and I was able to keep the ball going and make
him do most of the work.
"I couldn't afford to let him off the hook though, he's a good shotmaker
and his fitness has improved a lot recently.
"I've only reached the last 16 in the BJO before, so I'm definitely
looking forward to playing the final ..."
Joe Lee
"That was great, perfect squash and I'm really proud of him.
"Actually, Norman's father, Derek Lawrence, a South African who's now a
coach in Germany, was on the circuit at the same time as me, how's that
for coincidence ..."
Danny Lee
(Dad) |
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Boys U19
Aamir Atlas Khan (Pak) bt Chris Simpson (Eng)
9/7, 6/9,
9/6, 10/8 (96m) |
Heartbreak for Simpson
"Gutted" was Chris Simpson's assessment of his second successive defeat in
the semi-finals of the BJO.
I didn't get to see any of the match, as I was over at Hallamshire and
arrived back just as it finished.
But everyone I talked to said it was a great match - David Campion, Rahmat
Khan, Graham Dixon among others.
"It was 7-all in the first and he got a lucky nick, and I was 8/3 up in the
fourth and had about ten game balls," Chris said.
Rahmat Khan, the legendary coach of the legendary Jahangir who is in charge
of the Pakistani juniors, said "Aamir played really well, a great match."
We'll try to bring some eye-witness reports tomorrow ...
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Girls U15:
Heba Alaa
El Torky bt Nouran Abaa Al Torky
9/5, 9/7, 9/6
Laura Gemmell bt Tsz Ling Liu
9/2, 9/2, 9/1
(27m) |
Four in a row for Gemmell
The girls under 15 semis were quiet affairs compared to goings-on elsewhere.
The El Torky sisters played their semi-final in exhibition mode, with the
elder Heba always in front and always in control.
Canada's Laura Gemmell reached her fourth junior final in four weeks, and
will aim for a fourth successive title tomorrow. In a repeat of last week's
Scottish Junior final, Gemmell eased past Liu, and has yet to be seriously
tested in the event.
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"I was confident going into the match,
as I'd beaten her in the final in Edinburgh last week, and the match
today was pretty similar to that one.
"It's my fourth final in as many weeks, but I'm really looking forward
to this one.
"I've played Heba twice, in quarter-finals here, and although I lost the
games were competitive, and if you don't go into a match with confidence
you don't win..."
Laura Gemmell |
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Girls U15 Quarters
[1] Heba Alaa El Torky (Egy) bt
[9/16] Salma Hany (Egy) 9/5, 9/0, 10/9
(37m)
Nouran Alaa El Torky (Egy) bt [5/8] Salma Nasser (Egy)
9/3, 9/10, 9/1, 9/5 (42m)
[9/16] Tsz Ling Liu (Hkg) bt [5/8] Anwesha Reddy (Ind)
10/9, 9/3, 1/9, 9/3 (40m)
[3/4] Laura Gemmell (Can) bt [5/8] Kimberley Hay (Eng)
9/2, 9/3, 9/0 (14m) |
El Torky Sisters in Semis
 Defending
U15 champion Heba Alaa El Torky will contest the semi-final against her
younger sister Nouran after the pair won through in contrasting
quarter-finals in the early morning session at Abbeydale.
Heba was in control for the first two games of her match, and fought off a
determined challenge in the third before rushing to the nearby court eight
to see the last game of her sister's match.
Little Nouran, only just turned 13, is so fast around court and the saying
'never say die' could have been invented for her. She shrugged off the loss
of the second game, came out attacking everything in sight to score a fine
win over a player who has a good record over her older sister.
No wonder the pair were so delighted, and tears flowed freely as they
acclaimed their semi-final places. Apparently Heba normally wins when they
play, but whatever the result it's a match not to be missed ...
 Gemmell
on for four ?
Canada's Laura Gemmell, winner of the Canadian, US and Scottish titles in
December, hasn't been seriously tested yet, and she eased past England's
Kimberley Hay in just 14 minutes to set up a meeting with Hong Kong's Tsz
Ling Liu, a repeat of the Scottish final just a week ago.
Liu proved a little to mobile for Anwesha Reddy, keeping the Indian girl
under pressure for the most part after taking a close first game.
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DAY THREE REPORTS
Day Three was quarter-finals day for all
most events, and with
play-offs for the final placings well under way another busy day beckoned.
At Abbeydale action started with the Girls U15 and U19 round 2 where
virtually all the seeds won through with little trouble, and the day
finished at 10.30 at Hallamshire as the Boys U17 semi-finalists were
decided. |
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