It’s finals day of the individual championship at the 2023 WSF World Junior Squash Championships in Melbourne as the four players remaining compete for the title of junior world champion.

Play begins at 14:00 (Melbourne, GMT+10), with all the action from the Melbourne Sports Centres being streamed live and free on worldsquash.tv and the Olympic Channel, with SQUASHTV also showing the day’s play (subscription required).

You can keep up with all the action from the 2023 WSF World Junior Squash Championships by following the World Squash Federation on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Twitter. You can also follow Squash Australia on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

 

14:00 – [1] Orfi v [3/4] Azman

In an intriguing first final, Egyptian defending champion and top seed Amina Orfi faces Malaysian [3/4] seed Aira Azman.

Orfi, who spectacularly won the championships last year aged just 15, has come to Melbourne on the back of a breakout season on the professional circuit in which she reached a Bronze-level final and the last 16 of the World Championship, and is already being touted as a future World No.1.

Until yesterday’s 3-1 win over compatriot Malak Khafagy, Orfi had not dropped a game at this year’s championships, progressing almost serenely through the competition.

For Azman, today represents an opportunity to write a chapter in Malaysian squash history. No Malaysian woman has won the championship, nor made the final, since the great Nicol David back in 2001 and a win would cement Squash World Cup runner up Azman’s status as one of Malaysia’s brightest talents.

The pair have met just once before, with Orfi recording an 11-6, 11-9, 12-10 win in the final of the SRFI Indian Tour back in November 2022.

Will it be a second successive title for Orfi? Or can Azman spoil the party?

15:00 – [3/4] Zakaria v [3/4] Khan

The second final guarantees history, as Egypt’s Mohamed Zakaria – who at 15 is the youngest ever men’s finalist – faces Pakistan’s first finalist for 15 years, Hamza Khan.

Zakaria, who was the youngest ever men’s semi-finalist in France last year, has looked in top form throughout the competition, with his 3-0 semi-final demolition of 18-year-old compatriot Salman Khalil – who himself knocked out top seed Jonah Bryant in the quarter-final – a tactical masterclass.

Khan, meanwhile, has delighted the crowd with his attacking play style and flair. The 17-year-old, though, has also proven his ability to dig in when it counts. After allowing a 2-0 lead and match ball to slip, Khan found himself match ball down at 2-2 to France’s Melvil Scianimanico in yesterday’s semi-final, but managed to cling on to eventually progress 11-8, 11-4, 10-12, 9-11, 13-11.

Will Zakaria overtake the legendary Ramy Ashour and become the youngest ever men’s junior champion? Or will Pakistan have a first winner since the legendary Jansher Khan’s 1986 win over Rodney Eyles in Brisbane.

Outside of the main draw, playoff and plate matches are also taking place. Keep up with the results from those matches on tournament software.