All-Egyptian World Juniors Girls Semis Set; Fallows & Al Tamimi In Bid To Stop Egyptian Double In Boys by Howard Harding July 19, 2013
- Only Englishman Richie Fallows and Qatar's Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi
stand in the way of an Egyptian double in the WSF World Junior Squash
Championships in Poland after today's quarter-final action in the World
Squash Federation event at the Hasta La Vista Club in the historical
city of Wroclaw.
Fallows (pictured
below in quarter-final action), a 5/8 seed and runner-up in the recent
European Junior Championship, claimed an unexpected place in the
semi-finals after twice coming from behind to beat Egypt's Mohamed El
Gawarhy 7-11, 11-4, 11-13, 11-8, 11-9 in 80 minutes - the longest match
of the tournament so far.
"It was a really tight
game which almost slipped away from me," said the 18-year-old Londoner
afterwards. "I think God was on my side today, especially when I think
about that backhand shot that went off my frame and helped me win the
point at nine-all in the fifth!
"Who would I rather play in the semis? Nobody really. At this stage it's always anybody's game."
Fallows now faces
Karim Ayman Elhammamy, the second-seeded Egyptian who ended Kuwait's
historic run in the championship when he recovered from a game down to
remove 5/8 seed Yousif Nizar Saleh 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7.
"Losing the first game
was disappointing, but I was still getting into the game," said
Elhammamy. "I'm that sort of player who gets better as the match
progresses. I play Richie (Fallows) in the semis, who I've never met
before. We'll see how it goes."
Al Tamimi is also
seeded in the 5/8 group - and was also marking his country's debut
appearance at the last eight stage of the championship. The Doha
teenager ended English schoolboy Lyell Fuller's run by beating the
unseeded 17-year-old 12-10, 11-8, 11-6.
The 18-year-old Qatari
faces his sternest test when he takes on Egypt's Fares Mohamed Dessouki
for a place in the final. Favourite Dessouki stopped 5/8 seed Diego
Elias, Peru's first ever competitor in the championship, 11-9, 9-11,
11-5, 11-4 in 65 minutes.
But the biggest upset
came in the women's event when Mariam Ibrahim Metwally ousted Egyptian
compatriot Nouran Ahmed Gohar, the No2 seed, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-13,
11-8 in 74 minutes.
"I actually have a
rather good record against Nouran Gohar," explained the victorious 5/8
seed later. "I've played her perhaps 20 times in Egypt, not losing many
of these, and I beat her in a tournament two weeks ago, 3/1.
"Today I could repeat
that, having match point at 2/1 up, but I let that chance slip and she
won the game. Luckily I wasn't made to rue that later on," added the
16-year-old.
"Why wasn't I
celebrating at the end? I was in a bit of pain because of cramp in my
foot which I got at 8-5. I somehow managed to get through anyway!"
Metwally now takes on
fellow countrywoman Yathreb Adel, a 3/4 seed who needed only 25 minutes
to overcome Belgium's Nele Gilis 11-4, 11-5, 11-1.
The other women's semi
will also be a surprise all-Egyptian affair between favourite Nour El
Sherbini and 9/16 seed Habiba Mohamed Ahmed Alymohmed.
El Sherbini, now one
match away from her fourth final appearance since 2009, beat compatriot
Salma Hany Ibrahim 11-9, 11-3, 11-6, while 14-year-old Alymohmed upset
USA's 3/4 seed Sabrina Sobhy 11-7, 11-7, 11-8.
"I never played Salma
Ibrahim Ahmed in a competitive match before even though we often play
exhibition matches," said El Sherbini, the world No11, afterwards. "I
think I did good, I'm quite satisfied with my performance.
"Tomorrow I play the
young Habiba Mohamed whom I've also never faced before. We're from the
same city, but from different clubs."
A confident Habiba
Mohamed denied being nervous about her semi against fellow Alexandrian
El Sherbini - and not surprised by today's win: "Was I expecting the
win? Perhaps a bit yesterday and much more today. It's a big deal as
I'm younger than her and at only 14 years I'm in the semis!
"Am I nervous? Not at all. Why should I be? There's no pressure on me from now on."
Men's semi-final line-up: [1] Fares Mohamed Dessouki (EGY) v [5/8] Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) [2] Karim Ayman Elhammamy (EGY) v [5/8] Richie Fallows (ENG)
Women's semi-final line-up: [1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v [9/16] Habiba Mohamed Ahmed Alymohmed (EGY) [5/8] Mariam Ibrahim Metwally (EGY) v [3/4] Yathreb Adel (EGY)
RESULTS: WSF World Junior Squash Championships, Wroclaw, Poland
