Egypt & Pakistan To Contest Sixth World Junior Final
August 21, 2014 - 4:52am
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For the sixth time in a row, Egypt and Pakistan will line up in the final of the WSF Men’s World Junior Team Squash Championship after the event’s top two seeds survived testing semi-finals in the biennial World Squash Federation championship being staged at the Wanderers Sports Club in the Namibia capital Windhoek.
Both teams are poised to claim a record-equalling fifth title – favourites Egypt bidding to become the first nation sinceEngland in 2000 to win three titles in a row.
Egypt beat Spain 2/0, but were stretched to the limit by the sixth seeds who were making their first ever appearance in the event’s semi-finals.
Top string Omar El Atmas put the defending champions ahead with a 10-12, 12-10, 11-4, 11-5 victory over Edmon Lopez Moller.
Egypt’s No3 Karim El Hammamy then grinded out a 10-12, 11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6 win in 85 minutes against the determined Bernat Jaume (pictured above in action with El Hammamy) in a match which was suspended for about 15 minutes after the Spaniard sustained a cut below his right knee.
Earlier 2008 champions Pakistan ended Malaysia’s impressive run in the championship, beating the fifth seeds 2/0. The Malaysian team upset third seeds England in the previous round, denying the four-time champions a place in the last four for the first time in the 34-year history of the championship.
Pakistan number one Tayyab Aslam (pictured above in semi-final action) led the way with an 11-5, 5-11, 11-6, 11-8 win over Mohd Syafiq Kamal before third string Muhammad Asim Khan wrapped up his country’s tenth appearance in the final by defeating Darren Chan 11-5, 11-7, 11-9.
“It’s going to be a tough final against Egypt,” said Pakistani official Gogi Alauddin. “But I am looking forward to it as I know that my boys have big hearts and can handle the pressure,” added the former world No3.
RESULTS: WSF World Junior Team Squash Championship, Windhoek, Namibia
Semi-finals:
[1] EGYPT bt [6] SPAIN 2/0
Omar El Atmas bt Edmon Lopez Moller 10-12, 12-10, 11-4, 11-5 (68m)
Karim El Hammamy bt Bernat Jaume 10-12, 11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6 (85m)
[2] PAKISTAN bt [5] MALAYSIA 2/0
Tayyab Aslam bt Mohd Syafiq Kamal 11-5, 5-11, 11-6, 11-8 (48m)
Muhammad Asim Khan bt Darren Chan 11-5, 11-7, 11-9 (45m)
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