Malaysia’s Harith Danial upset the odds on day three of the WSF World Junior Squash Championships with a sublime performance as he beat [3/4] seed Juan Torres of Colombia at Houston Squash Club.
Torres went into the match heavily favoured, but struggled to break down the [9/16] seed in the opener, with Danial finding his range well and fending off Torres’ attacks to take the first game 11-4.
The Colombian fought back impressively in the second game to level with an 11-7 win, only to be blown away 11-2 in game three as Danial regained the lead.
There was no let up from the 18-year-old in game four, with Danial covering every inch of court and targeting the back well as he came back from 4-6 down to clinch the match in four games with an 11-7 victory.
Danial will face fellow [9/16] seed Abdallah Eissa in the quarter-finals after the Englishman recorded a surprise win of his own, taking down [5/8] seed Javier Romo of Ecuador in straight games.
Afterwards, Danial said: “I’m a little speechless right now. I think I played well today and I knew it was going to be a very long match so I’m happy to be through in four, and happy with my performance, and to go through with my teammate Low Wa-Sern [who beat Egypt’s Adham Roshdy to progress].
Joining Danial and Eissa in upsetting the odds was Pakistan’s Abdullah Nawaz, who battled back from a game down to shock Egyptian [5/8] seed Omar Azzam.
There was also a moment of history made when Republic of Korea’s Joo Young Na overcame compatriot Seojin Oh to become his country’s first ever representative in a WSF World Junior Championship quarter-final.
In the women’s draw, it was a more comfortable affair for the favourites, with every match going to seedings.
In a fiery encounter, [5/8] seed Nour Megahed overcame a spirited challenge from Hong Kong, China’s [9/16] seed Ena Kwong to record an 11-2, 9-11, 12-10, 11-6 victory. USA’s Riya Navani, too, was pushed hard, with the [5/8] seed digging in after falling behind to [9/16 seed] Thanusaa Uthrian, eventually recording a 3-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9 win to earn a match with No.2 seed Fayrouz Aboelkheir, who decimated French [9/16] seed Lauren Baltayan 11-2, 11-3, 11-2.
Joining Navani in the last eight is US compatriot and [3/4] seed Caroline Fouts. The 18-year-old, who has looked dominant so far in Houston, was in excellent form once again as she cruised past Malaysian [9/16] seed Whitney Wilson to maintain her her record of not dropping any games.
Fouts will take on Janna Swaify in the next round after the 16-year-old Egyptian overcame England’s Amelie Haworth 3-0.
The 2024 WSF World Junior Squash Championships resumes with the quarter-finals tomorrow, 15 July. The quarter-finals begin at 12:30 (GMT-5), while placing matches take place from 10:00. Head to WORLDSQUASH.TV to watch all the action live and free.
Click here to view all the results from day three of the WSF World Junior Squash Championships.
Results: 2024 WSF World Junior Championships, Women’s RO16
[1] Amina Orfi (EGY) bt Malika Elkaraksy (EGY) 3-1: 11-2, 11-1, 11-5
[5/8] Nour Megahed (EGY) bt [9/16] Kwong Ena (HKG) 3-1: 11-2, 9-11, 12-10, 11-6
[5/8] Anahat Singh (IND) bt [9/16] Akari Midorikawa (JPN) 3-0: 11-6, 13-11, 11-2
[3/4] Nadien Elhammamy (EGY) bt Dixon Hill (USA) 3-0: 11-1, 11-5, 11-5
[3/4] Caroline Fouts (USA) bt [9/16] Whitney Isabelle (MAS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-3, 11-4
[5/8] Jana Swaify (EGY) bt [9/16] Amelie Haworth (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 11-9
[5/8] Riya Navani (USA) bt [9/16] Thanusaa Uthrian (MAS) 3-1: 3-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9
[2] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) bt [9/16] Lauren Baltayan (FRA) 3-0: 11-2, 11-3, 11-2
Draw: 2024 WSF World Junior Championships, Women’s Quarter-Finals
[1] Amina Orfi (EGY) v [5/8] Nour Megahed (EGY)
[3/4] Nadien Elhammamy (EGY) v [5/8] Anahat Singh (IND)
[3/4] Caroline Fouts (USA) v [5/8] Jana Swaify (EGY)
[2] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) v [5/8] Riya Navani (USA)
Results: 2024 WSF World Junior Championships, Men’s RO16
[1] Mohamed Zakaria (EGY) bt [9/16] Zane Patel (USA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-3, 11-2
Abdullah Nawaz (PAK) bt [5/8] Omar Azzam (EGY) 3-1: 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 12-10
Shaurya Bawa (IND) bt Segundo Portabales (ARG) 3-1: 11-9, 5-11, 11-5, 13-11
Low Wa Sern (MAS) bt Adham Roshdy (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 12-10
[9/16] Harith Danial (MAS) bt [3/4] Juan Torres (COL) 3-1: 11-4, 7-11, 11-2, 11-7
[9/16] AbdAllah Eissa (ENG) bt [5/8] Javier Romo (ECU) 3-0: 11-9, 11-9, 13-11
[9/16] Jooyoung Na (KOR) bt Seojin Oh (KOR) 3-0: 11-9, 11-2, 11-3
[2] Hamza Khan (PAK) bt [9/16] Marwan Assal (EGY) 3-1: 11-6, 11-8, 10-12, 11-7
Draw: 2024 WSF World Junior Championships, Men’s Quarter-Finals
[1] Mohamed Zakaria (EGY) v Abdullah Nawaz (PAK)
Low Wa Sern (MAS) v Shaurya Bawa (IND)
[9/16] Harith Danial (MAS) v [9/16] AbdAllah Eissa (ENG)
[2] Hamza Khan (PAK) v [9/16] Joo Young Na (KOR)
The 2024 WSF World Junior Squash Championships are taking place at Houston Squash Club, Texas, from 12-23 July. Find all the key information here.
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