Mixed Fortunes For Top Seeds In Malmo
by Howard Harding
October 16, 2012 - While England's top seed Richie Fallows triumphed in the men's U19 final in the Nordic Junior Open Squash Championships in Sweden, Finnish favourite Emilia Soini failed to land the women's U19 title in the European Squash Federation Junior Circuit event at the Bellevuestadion in Malmo.
London-born Fallows, aged 17, extended England's grip on the men's trophy for a third year when he beat compatriot Matthew Sidaway 11-7, 11-7, 14-12 in the final.
Sidaway, the 18-year-old 5/8 seed from Manchester, made his breakthrough in the quarter-finals where he beat Portugal's 3/4 seed Claudio Pinto in straight games.
Just two days before her 17th birthday, Soini reached the women's final, as predicted, where she faced second seed Nele Gilis. The 16-year-old Belgian stretched the favourite from Espoo to five games before clinching her 11-6, 9-11, 11-3, 4-11, 11-6 upset.
The win marks the second ESF U19 title for Gilis, winner of the Czech Junior Open title in January.
RESULTS: Nordic Junior Open Squash Championships, Malmo, Sweden
Men's U19 quarter-finals:
[1] Richie Fallows (ENG) bt Youssef Abdalla (ENG) 11-9, 11-4, 10-12, 11-5
[3/4] Taminder Gata-Aura (ENG) bt [9/16] Lenard Puski (HUN) 11-9, 11-9, 11-4
[5/8] Matthew Sidaway (ENG) bt [3/4] Claudio Pinto (POR) 11-9, 11-7, 11-4
[5/8] Jakub Solnicky (CZE) bt [2] Martin Svec (CZE) 13-11, 11-4, 11-8
Semi-finals:
[1] Richie Fallows (ENG) bt [3/4] Taminder Gata-Aura (ENG) 11-7, 6-11, 11-5, 11-9
[5/8] Matthew Sidaway (ENG) bt [5/8] Jakub Solnicky (CZE) 13-11, 11-6, 11-3
Final:
[1] Richie Fallows (ENG) bt [5/8] Matthew Sidaway (ENG) 11-7, 11-7, 14-12
Women's U19 quarter-finals:
[1] Emilia Soini (FIN) bt [9/16] Lily Taylor (ENG) 11-5, 11-3, 11-5
[3/4] Karolina Holinkova (CZE) bt [9/16] Breanne Flynn (IRL) 12-10, 13-11, 11-7
[5/8] Anna Kimberley (ENG) bt [3/4] Csenge Kiss-Mate (HUN) 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-2
[2] Nele Gilis (BEL) bt [5/8] Tereza Svobodova (CZE) 11-5, 11-7, 11-6
Semi-finals:
[1] Emilia Soini (FIN) bt [3/4] Karolina Holinkova (CZE) 11-6, 11-4, 11-6
[2] Nele Gilis (BEL) bt [5/8] Anna Kimberley (ENG) 11-6, 11-4, 12-10
Final:
[2] Nele Gilis (BEL) bt [1] Emilia Soini (FIN) 11-6, 9-11, 11-3, 4-11, 11-6
Back To Main
