Canadian Girls Off to Strong Start
by Danny Da Costa

Wroclaw, Poland (July 16, 2013) – A trio of Canadian girls won their opening matches today at the 2013 Junior World Squash Championships in Wroclaw Poland.  Alison Richmond,  Dileas Macgowan, and Sophie Mehta, all hailing from Toronto, each advanced to the second round of the tournament where the join three other Canadian girls who received byes through the first round. 

Toronto’s Sophie Mehta got the Canadians off to a strong start; needing just 14 minutes to dispatch host Poland’s Aleksandra Surdziel (11-0, 11-1, 11-3). Dileas Macgowan continued the run with a victory over New Zealander Abbie Palmer in four games (11-7, 11-4, 8-11, 11-6) and Alison Richmond finished off the perfect day for Canada with a gutsy comeback over France’s Lea Van Der Zwalmen. Despite being down two games to none, Richmond showed no quit and starting battled back; Richmond’s shots started to lengthen and she began to dictate the match. Richmond would take the next three games and the match (5-11, 6-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-2). The fourth game was particularly dramatic but Richmond used a perfectly played nick shot and virtual ace to close out the game and continue her comeback. 

The three Canadian victories mean that six Canadians are in the final 64 of the draw as Richmond, Mehta, and Macgowan, join Hollie Naughton, Chloe Chemtob, and Sophie Mehta’s sister Alyssa in the second round. Naughton, Chemtob, and Alyssa Mehta each received byes past the first round. There is concern that Naughton, Canada’s top ranked junior, will be unable to play in her second round match because of an ankle injury suffered in pre-tournament training. All six of the Canadians girls’ second round matches are slated to take place Wednesday, in Wroclaw.  Sophie Mehta’s match against England’s number one ranked junior, Victoria Temple-Murray is a featured contest and will be streamed live at squashsite.co.uk/2009/worldjuniors2013.htm at 8:30am EST.

About the World Squash Junior Championships

The World Squash Junior Championships is an annual squash championship that is contested by the top under 19 squash players in the world.  Competitions are conducted in three categories: girls, boys and teams.  The team competition alternates every year between girls and boys with 2013 featuring the girls’ team event.  The championships will be staged from the 16-27 of July; the first week will feature the individual boys and girls events and the girls team competition will be contested in the second week.  Over 100 athletes will participate in the championships including girls’ teams representing 16 nations.