Jonathan Smith
Cairo (Egypt): Mohammed Alnasfan and Laura Silva made history for Saudi Arabia and Brazil as they became their nations’ first ever representatives in the Round of 16 of the World Squash Junior Championships after both players recorded gritty five-game wins at Black Ball Sporting Club, Cairo.
Alnasfan’s victory came courtesy of a gruelling double header, with the 16-year-old upsetting 9/16 seed Oliver Dunbar of New Zealand in the Round of 64 in the morning before going one better with a hard-fought 3-2 win over 17/32 seed Dylan Roberts in the Round of 32 in the afternoon.
That win over Roberts was a see-saw encounter, with Alnasfan retrieving well as the pair traded periods of dominance. Alnasfan looked to have won it in four games when he led 7-6 while 2-1 up, only for a valiant effort from Roberts - who spent several minutes of game four retrieving physio treatment after landing heavily - to dig in and forth a fifth game.
Alnasfan wasn’t to be denied, though, and he powered home in the fifth game 11-3 against the struggling Englishman.
“I’m so happy to have achieved this,” Alnasfan said afterwards. “My thanks to my coaches and everyone at the Saudi Squash Federation for their support.”
Women’s 9/16 seed Silva, meanwhile, will be Brazil’s first ever representative in the last 16 after fighting back in a tough five-gamer with English 17/32 seed Emily Coulcher-Porter.
Coulcher-Porter, who utilises her ambidexterity to play the forehand on both sides of the courts, tested Silva’s reading of the game early on to clinch the opener 13-11.
Silva responded well with a dominant 11-4 win in game two and then moved ahead 11-7 in game three before Coulcher-Porter defended well to edge a second tie-break 12-10.
Silva, however, did not panic. Cheered on by the vocal Brazil contingent, the 17-year-old held her nerve to record another 11-7 win and earn a matchup on the glass court with No.2 seed Anahat Singh of India, who cruised past France’s Ines Guyot.
Elsewhere, there were more seeding upsets in both events. In the men’s competition, unseeded American Muhammad Haq impressed as he took out Canadian 9/16 seed Youssef Sarhan in straight games, while in the women’s competition, Scottish 17/32 seed Robyn McAlpine fought back from two games down to beat English 9/16 seed Mariam Eissa.
