Diego Elias & Nouran Gohar Are The 2015 World Junior Champions by Howard Harding photos by SquashPics.com July 30, 2015 -
Diego Elias and Nouran Gohar have been crowned the champions of the
2015 WSF World Junior Individual Squash Championships after triumphs in
today's finals in the Netherlands - Peruvian Elias overcoming Egypt's
Youssef Soliman at the Squashtime Centre in Eindhoven to retain the
title he won for the first time last year in Namibia, and second seed
Gohar upsetting top seed Habiba Mohamed in the other final to deny her
Egyptian compatriot a second successive women's title.
Top seed Elias, who last year became Peru's first world squash
champion, has been imperious form throughout the week. The 18-year-old
from Lima reached the final without conceding a game - then took on
surprise finalist Youssef Soliman, a 3/4 seed from Egypt.
Elias - ranked 43 in the world, 133 places higher than his opponent -
was forced to battle for 51 minutes before overcoming Soliman 11-6,
11-9, 11-8.
The win sees the South American squash star become only the fourth
player in history to win the men's world junior title twice, after
Egyptians Ramy Ashour, Mohamed Elshorbagy and Marwan Elshorbagy.
"I feel very happy to win this title," the triumphant Elias (picured
above with Soliman) told the event website www.wsfworldjuniors.com
later. "It's what you work for. It's thanks to my supporters, trainers,
and family - especially my Dad who pushed me and worked with me -
making this happen.
"This has been an important month for me, with the Pan American Games
where I played well to reach - and almost win - the final, and now this.
"It's an honour to join the list of people who have won this title twice and I hope I can continue to progress as they have."
After winning the women's title for the first time last year at the age
of 15 - beating Gohar in the final - Alexandria-born Habiba Mohamed had
in her sights the potential to win the title an unprecedented four
times.
But world No.15 Gohar - who had ever before beaten her fellow
countrywoman, yet was ranked higher than her 19-ranked opponent - was
eager to disprove the seedings while endorsing the rankings.
Honours were shared after the first two games, but from five-all in the third Gohar burst ahead to take a 2/1 lead.
The fourth game was an epic - 30 minutes of unrelenting effort and
tension. Mohamed led at 4-1 but Gohar levelled at 6-all. 7-all, 8-all,
and 9-all. The favourite had four game-balls, and Gohar had two
match-balls before finally converting her third with a low drive that
former champion Mohamed had no chance of reaching.
"I can't feel anything right now, I'm so happy," said the delighted
Gohar (pictured above after clinching her win) after her 11-6, 7-11,
11-7, 17-15 title triumph in 69 minutes.
"In the second game she played very well and I lost concentration, but then I played well again in the third.
"I didn't think of last year at all, I know I played badly then and I didn't want it to affect me.
"The fourth was so tough, if I'd lost that I don't think I would have
had anything left, I was so pleased to finish it in four, I really
don't know what happened at the end!"
Egypt have been named as top seeds in the 2015 WSF Women's World Junior
Team Championship which gets underway tomorrow. 18 nations will be
competing in the biennial event in which defending champions Egypt are
expected to face second seeds USA in the final for the third time in a
row.
RESULTS: WSF World Junior Squash Championships, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Men's final: [1] Diego Elias (PER) bt [3/4] Youssef Soliman (EGY) 11-6, 11-9, 11-8 (51m)
