News

Shorbagy aims for a fourth BJO title and Drysdale Cup Defence ...
Marwan El Shorbagy reports

World junior champion Mohamed El Shorbagy, who has made major strides in the the senior circuit over the last year and is currently ranked 36 in the world rankings, is defending his Drysdale Cup. Shorbagy is seeded to play France's Gregoire Marche in the final in a repeat of the 2008 climax. Marche is ranked 110 and has won two PSA titles, and he is playing his last BJO so will be looking for the first title.

The Pakistani favourite Waqar Mehboob, who was a semi-finalist in the World Juniors in Zurich is seeded to play Shorbagy in the semis finals while Marche's expected opponent is Egyptian Andrew Wagih.

In the Girls U19 Low Wee Wern, who is ranked 42 in the world, is looking for the first BJO title in her career. The Malaysian top seed has enjoyed a good run of results since a spell of training in Amsterdam under Liz Irving.

Second seed is Heba El Torky, but the Egyptian finds herself in the same half as Dipika Pallikal from India, who beat Heba 3/2 in last year's U17 final.

In the Under 17, runner up last year Amr Khalifa is seeded to win his second british junior open title, with Pakistan's Danish Atlas - Aamir's brother - seeded to reach his first bjo final. The English favourite will be Charles Sharpes who is studying at Millfield School and, seeded 9/16, will be hoping for better results than last year.

For the girls U17 Nour El Tayeb who is ranked 68 at the moment and who has beaten players in top 30 is seeded to win her third bjo title. Olivia Blatchford is seeded to reach the final and she is going to be looking for a second title after missing out last year.

And of course Egypt will be looking for at least another six titles ...

"The British Junior Open has been always my favourite tournament. I like the Crowd and the glass court in Abbeydale and I really enjoy the big crowd every year.

"I am happy with my PSA results this season so I would like to start my new year with winning this title again ..."

"I'm training very hard for this year, it's my first time to play U19 so not too much pressure on me .

"I've been working with Malcolm [Willstrop] for over a month now and I think it helped me a lot, and now I'm also training with Amir Wagih so I think I am taking a good training.

"I had lots of good matches in WISPA and I broke into the top 50 which was my first goal, so I hope I can push myself in this BJO."

"I trained hard for the tournament as I am hoping to win but I know it's going to be hard, as every year.

"I will be happy if I win the BJO, it would be a good start for this year as I am going to start playing PSA tournaments.

20-Dec-08:
Ivan wants to go
out with a bang in Sheffield ...

KUALA LUMPUR: Top national junior squash player Ivan Yuen has made tremendous progress in his world rankings and wants to cap his last outing in the British Junior Open, which begins in Sheffield from Jan 2-6, with a bang.

The 18-year-old Selangor lad turned professional in February last year and was ranked at No. 352. But, in less than two years, he has climbed to No. 135 — an astounding leap of 217 rungs.

“I am glad that I managed to improve my ranking by 217 rungs in 22 months. I am happy with my achievement,” said Ivan, who is doing his pre-university studies at the Bukit Jalil Sports School.

“Now I will go all out in my last appearance in the British Junior Open.”

Ivan, the Asian Junior Championships runner-up, said he has never won a title at the British Junior Open, where he has been seeded joint fifth-eighth in the boys’ Under-19 event.

“I have been training very hard under coach Ajaz (Azmat) and I hope to make the final,” said Ivan, whose best achievement in the British Junior Open was a third placing in the Under-17 category in 2006.

Ivan prepared for his Sheffield assignment by playing in four NSC Satellite tournaments, twice upsetting top seed Mike Corren of Australia to reach the semi-finals. Ivan will also feature in the Asian Junior Championships in Chennai from Jan 13-22.

The other Malaysian juniors who will feature in the British Junior Open are Kamran Khan (boys’ Under-19), Darren Subramaniam (boys’ Under-15), Low Wee Wern and Rachael Goh (girls’ Under-19) and Low Wee Nee and Tan Yan Xin (girls’ Under-17).