England With Clean Sweep In European Junior Championships by Howard Harding April 7, 2015
- England scored a clean sweep of all three titles in the 2015 European
Junior U19 Squash Championships at the Sports Center Hector in the
Czech Republic capital Prague.
George Parker was favourite for the men's individual title - but the
18-year-old from Leicester had to withstand a spirited attack in the
final from surprise opponent Edmon Lopez Moller. Seeded only to reach
the quarter-finals, the Barcelona teenager upset Ireland's second seed
Michael Craig in the semi-finals to become the first Spaniard to reach
the final in the 26-year history of the championship.
It took 107 minutes and four tie-break games for Parker to prevail
10-12, 14-12, 10-12, 13-11, 11-3 to become the fifth successive English
winner of the men's title.
In the women's final, Georgina Kennedy denied Belgian favourite Tinne
Gilis the chance to join 2014 champion Nele Gilis as the only pair of
sisters to win the title. Second seed Kennedy, from Bexley in Kent,
defeated Gilis junior 11-8, 11-3, 11-9 to become the sixth English
women's winner in the last seven years.
It was Parker and Kennedy who steered England to success in the team
competition, with a 2/0 victory in the final over Finland, the fourth
seeds celebrating their first appearance in the final since 1992.
England have now held the title unopposed for six years since 2010.
Lower in the play-offs, Ireland finished in fifth place to mark their highest-ever finish in the championships.
RESULTS: European Junior U19 Squash Championships, Prague, Czech Republic
Men's Individual quarter-finals:
[1] George Parker (ENG) bt [5/8] David Ryan (IRL) 13-11, 11-5, 11-7
[3/4] Jami Aijanen (FIN) bt [5/8] Benjamin Aubert (FRA) 11-9, 11-8, 13-11
[5/8] Edmon Lopez Moller (ESP) bt [3/4] Patrick Rooney (ENG) 11-8, 11-5, 12-10
[2] Michael Craig (IRL) bt [9/16] James Peach (ENG) 11-8, 12-10, 9-11, 11-4
Semi-finals:
[1] George Parker (ENG) bt [3/4] Jami Aijanen (FIN) 11-5, 11-6, 11-9 (34m)
[5/8] Edmon Lopez Moller (ESP) bt [2] Michael Craig (IRL) 11-4, 11-2, 11-5 (37m)
Final:
[1] George Parker (ENG) bt [5/8] Edmon Lopez Moller (ESP) 10-12, 14-12, 10-12, 13-11, 11-3 (107m)
3rd place play-off:
[2] Michael Craig (IRL) bt [3/4] Jami Aijanen (FIN) 11-4, 11-3, 11-8 (33m)
Team Championship semi-finals:
[1] ENGLAND bt [5] FRANCE 3/0
[4] FINLAND bt [7] WALES 3/0
Final:
[1] ENGLAND bt [4] FINLAND 2/0 (Georgina Kennedy bt Riina Koskinen
11-3, 11-5, 11-1 (15m); George Parker bt Jami Aijanen 11-7, 11-3, 11-7
(26m); Patrick Rooney v Miko Aijanen (match withdrawn))
