World junior squash: Easy for top-seeds, Indian challenge ends

Top seed and defending champion Marwan Tarek of Egypt eased into the fourth round of the under-19 category with a straight-forward win over Malaysia's Muhammaed Amir Amirul Azhar in the WSF-World Junior Squash Championship here today.

Tarek gave little leeway to his rival and finished off rallies without much fuss to run away a 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 winner in just 34 minutes.

Later, Tarek's compatriot Mostafa Asal, seeded two, made short work of India's Veer Chotrani 11-9, 11-8, 11-6 in 31 minutes.

For the Indians seeking to make an impact, things did not start well as Rahul Baitha looked too tired for a fight against Egyptian Mostafa Montaser and went down 4-11, 4-11, 9-11.

The other home player, Yash Fadte, went down fighting to England's James Wyatt (seeded 9/12) 8-11, 6-11, 11-5, 9-11 in 53 minutes.

In the women's event, Aishwarya Khubchandani came up against the second-seed Hania El Hammamy of Egypt in the second round and lost 6-11, 5-11, 9-11 while another Egyptian Ingy Hammouda (seeded 9-12) ended the hopes of another Indian, Sanya Vats, winning 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9.

Ashita Bhengra, a local girl, had the misfortune of running into the top-seed and defending champion Rowan Reda Araby (Egypt) in the second round and succumbed to a 4-11, 8-11, 2-11 in just 20 minutes, ending the Indian challenge in the competition.

Bhengra had defeated Grace Pattison in 7-11, 11-8, 11-6. 9-11, 11-4 in the first round.

Important results: Men: (third round): Marwan Tarek (1) bt Muhammad Amir Amirul Azhar 11-8, 11-8, 11-8; George Crowne (Canada) bt Curtis Malik (Eng, 13/16) 4-11, 13-11, 11-4, 11-6; Yehia Elnawasany (Egy, 9/12) bt Matthew Lucente (NZ) 11-5, 11-5, 12-14, 11-5; Mostafa Montaser (Egy, 5/8) bt Rahul Baitha (Ind) 11-4, 11-9, 11-9; Nicholas Wall (Eng, 5/8) bt Michael Creaven (Ire) 11-4 11-4 11-7.

Matias Knudsen (Col, 9/12) bt Abbas Zeb (Pak) 4-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-3; Omar El Torkey (Egypt, 3/4) bt Nils Schwab (Ger) 11-5, 11-5, 11-2; Mostafa El Serty (Egy, 3/4) bt Ryan Picken (Can) 11-9, 11-8, 11-9; Leonel Cardenas (Mex, 5/8) bt Haris Qasim (Pak) 11-5, 11-6, 11-1.

Women (first round): Ashita Bhengra (Ind) bt Grace Pattison (Aus) 7-11, 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-4; Chan Yiwen (Mal, 13/16) bt Elisabeth Ross (US) 11-4, 11-3, 11-6; Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) bt Meghna Sreedhar (US) 11-5, 11-6, 11-4; Elle Ruggiero (US) bt Yoshna Singh (Ind) 11-8, 11-7, 11-7.

Farida Mohamed (Egy, 13/16) bt Jannia Singh (Ind) 11-6, 11-8, 11-4; Chan Sin Yuk (HKG, 13/16) bt Ananya Dabke (Ind) 11-9, 11-8, 11-2; Ingy Hammouda (Egy, 9/12) bt Annaleise Faint (NZ) 11-2, 11-0, 11-4; Sanya Vats (Ind) bt Polite Mubure (Zim) 11-7, 11-6, 11-3; Sneha Sivakumar (Singapore) bt Aira Azman (Mal) 11-6, 11-5, 3-11, 11-2; Aishwarya Khubchandani (Ind) bt Teagan Roux (US) 11-6 11-5 11-6.