Australia Celebrates Oceania Junior Double by Howard Harding April 24, 2015
- Australia celebrated a regional double on New Zealand soil when
second seeds Solayman Nowrozi and Lakeesha Rarere scored unexpected
title triumphs in the Oceania Junior U19 Squash Championships at Squash
City in Invercargill.
Rarere, a 17-year-old Queenslander who was born in New Zealand, faced
Kiwi favourite Eleanore Epke in the women's final. Ranked 88 in the
world after reaching her maiden WSA World Tour final in January, Rarere
(pictured above) brushed aside fellow 17-year-old Epke 11-5, 11-4, 11-5
to win the title for the first time.
The men's final was an all-Australian affair in which Nowrozi also
lined up against the event's top seed. Brisbane-based Sam Ejtemai
reached the final without dropping a game - and endured a mammoth
23-minute opening game before fellow 18-year-old Nowrozi opened up a
one-game lead in the final.
It was in the second game that Ejtamai injured himself - and was forced
to concede the match after just two games to give Pakistan-born Nowrozi
(pictured above), from Melbourne, the title.
RESULTS: Oceania Junior U19 Squash Championships, Invercargill, New Zealand
Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Sam Ejtemai (AUS) bt Montell-Zachary Whatarangi (NZL) 11-5, 11-6, 11-5
[4] Scott Galloway (NZL) bt Chapman Kutia (NZL) 11-7, 11-7, 11-9
[3] Luke Jones (NZL) bt Jayden Millard (NZL) 11-4, 11-5, 11-8
[2] Solayman Nowrozi (AUS) bt Joseph Williams (NZL) 11-5, 9-11, 11-1, 11-8
Semi-finals:
[1] Sam Ejtemai (AUS) bt [4] Scott Galloway (NZL) 11-4, 11-5, 11-9
[2] Solayman Nowrozi (AUS) bt [3] Luke Jones (NZL) 2-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6
Final:
[2] Solayman Nowrozi (AUS) bt [1] Sam Ejtemai (AUS) 12-10, 11-7 ret.
