Previews

31-Dec, Scottish:
Honours Shared in Edinburgh - on the Blog

17-Dec, Preview:
Shorbagy Goes for the Drysdale Treble

After another fabulous year on the PSA tour which has seen Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egypt) rise to a career high of 14 in the October World Rankings, he returns to Sheffield and the Tecnifibre British Junior Open for the last time. The double World Junior Champion and two time Drydale Cup winner is odds on to add a third Boys' Under 19 title and become the first to achieve such a feet since Del Harris’s amazing run of 4 titles in the 1980’s.

Shorbagy is joined by fellow Egyptian world junior champion Nour El Sherbiny who stunned the squash world earlier this year by taking the world title at the age of only 13. Nour is top seed in the Under 19 event but will face stiff opposition from compatriots Heba and Nouran El Torky and from former Under 17 Champion and last season’s Under 19 runner-up Dipika Pallikal (India).

Egypt have dominated the event over recent years winning six out of the eight titles in each of the last four years and will once again be looking to take home the lion’s share. The only event that doesn’t see an Egyptian No1 seed is the Boys' Under 17’s which is headed by India’s Abhishek Pradhan.

The top age group for the English is the Under 17s in which they have three 5/8 seeds – Nottinghamshire’s Oliver Holland and Declan James in the boys and Emily Whitlock (Cheshire) in the girls. Oliver Holland always seems to perform in this event and was runner-up in the Under 15s last year and a semi-finalist in 2008. All three are capable of causing a few upsets to the seedings as England continues the search for its first British Junior Open champion since James Willstrop in 2002.

Other English contenders include recent British Champions Ben Coleman (Essex) in the Under 19s, Richie Fallows (Essex) and Eleanor Lake (Gloucestershire) in the Under 15’s and Under 13 James Peach (Yorkshire) – all of which are seeded 5/8.

This season will see over 400 players from 37 countries descend on Sheffield over the New Year for the prestigious British Junior Open which is once again sponsored by Tecnifibre.

This is the fifteenth year that the city of Sheffield has hosted the event through the fabulous support of the Sheffield Major Events Unit and both Hallamshire and Abbeydale squash clubs. This season also sees Fulwood Sports Club hosting matches as the event continues to expand and now includes full monrad draws for all age groups.

The Championships will take place from 2-6 January with the finals being held on at Abbeydale on the clubs state of the art all-glass court. All spectators wishing to watch the world’s finest juniors compete are welcomed free of charge.

Boys'
Draws

Girls'
Draws

On the BLOG

Sherbini steps up