Holland & Lecoq Spring Surprises In French Junior Open
by Howard Harding
February 21, 2012 - England's Olivier Holland and home heroine Julia Lecoq claimed the U19 titles in the French Junior Open Squash Championships against expectations after upsets over the top seeds in the long-established European Squash Federation Junior Circuit event in Wambrechies, France.
LeCoq, a 3/4 seed in the women's U19 event, prevailed in an all-French final against top seed Melissa Alves. Both are aged 18 - and both from Creteil in Paris.
But LeCoq was looking for revenge after losing to Alves in last year's quarter-finals. Alves went on finish as 2011 runner-up.
LeCoq battled back from 2/1 down to beat Alves 11-6, 4-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-3 to win the title for the first time - and consign her opponent to a runner-up finish for the second year in a row.
It was a victory over men's favourite Tom de Mulder in the semi-finals that took 17-year-old Holland to the event's first ever all-English men's final. The 3/4 seed's opponent was Richie Fallows, a 9/16 seed who had progressed three rounds beyond his seeding prediction - and who had ousted second-seeded compatriot Tom Ford in the semi-finals.
But Nottingham-based Holland became the first English winner of the title for four years when he defeated 16-year-old Fallows, from Essex, 11-8, 11-9, 11-1.
RESULTS: French Junior Open Squash Championships, Wambrechies, France
Men's Under-19 quarter-finals:
[1] Tom de Mulder (BEL) bt [5/8] Ashley Davies (ENG) 11-7, 11-8, 11-5
[3/4] Oliver Holland (ENG) bt [5/8] Taminder Gata-Aura (ENG) 11-7, 6-11, 11-5, 11-1
[9/16] Richie Fallows (ENG) bt [5/8] Matthew Sidaway (ENG) 11-7, 11-8, 11-8
[2] Tom Ford (ENG) bt [9/16] Lyell Fuller (ENG) 12-10, 12-10, 11-7
Semi-finals:
[3/4] Oliver Holland (ENG) bt [1] Tom de Mulder (BEL) 6-11, 11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 16-14
[9/16] Richie Fallows (ENG) bt [2] Tom Ford (ENG) 1-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7
Final:
[3/4] Oliver Holland (ENG) bt [9/16] Richie Fallows (ENG) 11-8, 11-9, 11-1
Women's Under-19 quarter-finals:
[1] Melissa Alves (FRA) bt [5/8] Brogan Lane (ENG) 11-2, 11-2, 11-7
[3/4] Caroline Sayegh (GER) bt [9/16] Enora Villard (FRA) 11-8, 11-8, 11-4
[3/4] Julia Lecoq (FRA) bt [5/8] Victoria Temple-Murray (ENG) 11-9, 12-10, 1-11, 11-3
[2] Nele Gilis (BEL) bt [5/8] Katie Smith (ENG) 11-4, 11-3, 7-11, 13-11
Semi-finals:
[1] Melissa Alves (FRA) bt [3/4] Caroline Sayegh (GER) 11-9, 11-6, 11-5
[3/4] Julia Lecoq (FRA) bt [2] Nele Gilis (BEL) 10-12, 11-4, 11-5, 11-4
Final:
[3/4] Julia Lecoq (FRA) bt [1] Melissa Alves (FRA) 11-6, 4-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-3
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