Egypt Retains World Junior Title
by Howard Harding
July 31, 2011 - Favourites Egypt successfully retained their title in the WSF Women's World Junior Team Squash Championship in Boston - but hosts USA, celebrating their first appearance in the climax, forced the tie into a decider after former world individual champion Amanda Sobhy defeated the newly-crowned champion Nour El Tayeb on the final day of the World Squash Federation event at the Murr Center at Harvard University.
Defending champions Egypt made a great start to the final as Nouran El Torky beat a nervous Sabrina Sobhy 11-9, 11-3, 11-3.
Then came the match that was expected to bring the earlier individual championship to a conclusion - between 2010 champion Amanda Sobhy and her predicted successor Nour El Tayeb. Sobhy, determined to make amends for her shock semi-final exit in the individual event, edged a tight first, pulling away from eight-all.
El Tayeb drew level - but New Yorker Sobhy ran away with the third to retake the lead.
Holding a slight lead throughout the fourth, Sobhy eventually clinched her third match-ball to win 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-9 to force the tie into a decider.
"Amanda played so well, she hit the ball very hard and made no mistakes," El Tayeb said afterwards. "It was in my mind that in 2009 she'd beaten Nour (El Sherbini) in the team event and today she beat me.
"Even though I played my best, I tried my hardest. I had some nerves, it was a different kind of nerves from the individual event, but it didn't help that she played so well!"
But less than half an hour later, Egypt made sure of the title when Nour El Sherbini, winner of the 2009 title and runner-up in the 2011 championship, beat Olivia Blatchford 11-8, 11-3, 11-8.
"When Nour lost I was quite nervous, I knew it was all on me now, but once I managed to take the first game I though everything's alright now," explained El Sherbini.
"Then I hurt my ankle and had to get it strapped," added the 15-year-old. "Everyone was concerned but I told them I would be ok. Once I went back on court my ankle didn't hurt, but I wanted to finish the game quickly and most of my shots came off,
"I was so happy to help the team win, but my ankle does hurt now!"
Egypt coach Amir Wagih added: "It was a great team victory and a very special one. They've been working hard in the camps all summer and this is a great reward for them.
"The team event is always tougher than the individual, all the other countries are determined and trying to push you, and all our players played right to the end of the individuals so there wasn't much time for rest.
"I promised we would try to bring the trophy back home and they did it, I'm so proud of them.
"The boys did so well in Belgium, now the girls have won again. This is the 20th world title since I've been National Coach, and soon the men will go to Paderborn and we will try to retain that title."
In the bronze medal play-off for third place, sixth seeds Hong Kong China beat India, the third seeds, 2/1 - and former champions England improved on their finish two years ago by beating fifth seeds Malaysia 2/0 in the play-off for fifth place.
And although New Zealand beat Wales 2/0 in the seventh place play-off, the eighth place finish was the best by Wales since their appearance in the inaugural championship in 1985.
In the battle for 15th place between championship debutants Guyana and Ecuador, it was Guyana that emerged triumphant 2/0.
COMPLETE RESULTS: WSF Women's World Junior Team Squash Championship, Boston, USA
Final:
[1] EGYPT bt [2] USA 2/1
Nouran El Torky bt Sabrina Sobhy 11-9, 11-3, 11-3 (20m)
Nour El Tayeb lost to Amanda Sobhy 9-11, 11-6, 6-11, 9-11 (44m)
Nour El Sherbini bt Olivia Blatchford 11-8, 11-3, 11-8 (29m)
3rd place play-off:
[6] HONG KONG CHINA bt [3] INDIA 2/1
Choi Uen Shan bt Aparajitha Balamurukan 11-9, 11-9, 12-14, 11-8 (36m)
Ka-Yi Lee lost to Anaka Alankamony 3-11, 6-11, 7-11 (20m)
Ho Tze-Lok bt Saumya Karki 4-11, 11-5, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8 (46m)
5th place play-off:
[4] ENGLAND bt [5] MALAYSIA 2/0
Victoria Temple-Murray bt Vanessa Raj 11-3, 11-8, 7-11, 12-10 (33m)
Emily Whitlock bt Tan Yan Xin 11-8, 11-4, 12-10 (26m)
Katie Smith v Sue Ann Yong (dead rubber - match not played)
7th place play-off:
[9] NEW ZEALAND bt [10] WALES 2/0
Danielle Fourie bt Fiona Murphy 18-16, 11-8, 11-6 (29m)
Megan Craig bt Tesni Evans 12-10, 9-11, 11-5, 9-5 ret. (39m)
Rebecca Barnett v Hannah Davies (dead rubber - match not played)
9th place play-off:
[8] CANADA bt [7] AUSTRALIA 2/1
Hollie Naughton bt Bethany Brazier 11-5, 11-9, 11-8 (22m)
Danielle Letourneau lost to Tamika Saxby 8-11, 10-12, 8-11 (25m)
Michelle Gemmell bt Selena Shaikh 11-5, 11-9, 11-4 (22m)
11th place play-off:
[11] FRANCE bt [12] GERMANY 2/0
Elvira Bedjai bt Laura Kutsch 13-15, 10-12, 17-15, 12-10, 12-10 (59m)
Julia Lecoq bt Caroline Sayegh 11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 11-4 (34m)
Marie Stephan v Annika Wiese (dead rubber - match not played)
13th place play-off:
[13/16] SOUTH AFRICA bt [13/16] NETHERLANDS 2/0
Julie Lee bt Nikki van der Heijden 11-7, 11-9, 12-10 (27m)
Alexandra Fuller bt Ilona Lagerweij 11-7, 11-8, 10-12, 7-11, 11-8 (43m)
Elani Landman v Tessa ter Sluis (dead rubber - match not played)
15th place play-off:
[13/16] GUYANA bt [13/16] ECUADOR 2/0
Kayla Jeffrey bt Mikaela Albuja Sanchez 11-5, 11-4, 8-6 ret. (24m)
Ashley Khalil bt Mireya Lucia Espinosa Proano 16-14, 11-5, 11-5 (24m)
Keisha Jeffrey v Nicole Gordillo Bravo (dead rubber - match not played)
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