Sports Bulletin Report
Nancy (France):-English national Finnlay Withington overcame top seed Mohammad Hamza Khan 3-2 in the first semifinal of the World Juniors’ Squash Championship 2022 at Nancy France on Monday. The final score-line was 11-2, 11-9, 5-11, 11-13and 11-2.
Withington was in total control in the first, and took an early lead in the second before a series of errors allowed Khan to bounce back in the match. Withington just about held on to go two games up, but the momentum was with Khan now and the top seed dominated the third and led for most of a closer fourth.
Withington played three strong rallies to go 10-8 up, but found the tin on both match balls – and again at 11-10 – before Khan took the next three points to set up a decider. The fifth was a repeat of the opening game as Withington dominated to become the first Englishman to reach the final since the all-English final of 2002.
Salma topples top seed Kenzy
First up was one of two all-Egyptian women’s semis as top seed Kenzy Ayman met 5/8 seed Salma El Tayeb. El Tayeb was on top in the first game, and took an early lead in the second before Ayman fought back to level the match.
A 6-0 start in the third was enough for El Tayeb to hold off another Ayman comeback and retake the lead, and the underdog kept ahead through the fourth to claim a place in the final 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6.
The second women’s semi was a thriller, with second seed Amina Orfi coming from two games down and taking the decider in extra points.
Fayrouz Abouelkheir had egded the first two games both 11-9, but Orfi stormed back to go 10-4 up in the third, taking it 11-9, and racing through the fourth 11-2.
The fifth was close all the way and at 8-8 it was anyone’s. Orfi moved to 10-8, Abouelkheir saved both of those but couldn’t do it on the third attempt as the 15-year-old took it 12-10 to go through to the final.
Results (Semifinals):
Women’s
Salma El Tayeb(Egy) beat 3-1 Kenzy Ayman (Egy) 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6
Amina Orfi (Egy) beat 3-2 Fayrouz Aboulkheir(Egy) 9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-2, 12-10
Men’s
Finnlay Withington (Eng) beat 3-2 Mohammad Hamza Khan (Pak) 11-2, 11-9, 5-11, 11-13, 11-2
Rowan Damming (Ned) beat 3-1 Mohamed Zakaria(Egy) 11-13, 17-15, 11-8, 11-8
