England’s Lewis Anderson score back-to-back upsets to move into the last eight
By HOWARD HARDING, KNG ZHENG GUAN and ALEX WAN – Squash Mad International Correspondents

England claimed a surprise additional place in the men’s quarter-finals of the CIMB Foundation WSF World Junior Squash Championships in Malaysia today when unseeded Lewis Anderson pulled off two successive upsets in his debut appearance in the annual World Squash Federation event at the Bukit Jalil National Squash Centre in the country’s capital Kuala Lumpur.

After causing the shock exit of Czech Viktor Byrtus in the third round session in the morning – beating the 3/4 seed 11-9, 13-15, 11-4, 6-11, 11-6 – the 18-year-old from Warwickshire progressed to take out Egypt’s Karim Elbarbary, a 13/16 seed, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 in the last 16 round.

“It was massive to beat Viktor in the third round,” said Anderson. “I looked at the draw, playing the third-fourth seed and somehow I just managed to push through for my biggest win yet.

“After that I went back to the hotel, got some food and I felt good and I backed myself to go against another tough opponent.

“When I came back on court, everything went smoothly and I played some of my best squash so I’m really happy to be in the top eight,” added the surprise quarter-finalist.

Anderson, the 2018 Dutch U19 Junior Open champion, will now face surprise opponent Veer Chotrani, the Asian Junior Under-19 champion who is a 9/12 seed in KL. The 17-year-old from Mumbai came from a game down to shock Switzerland’s 5/8 seed Yannick Wilhelmi 10-12, 11-6, 11-8, 11-3.

For Malaysia though, the results were pretty clear cut as the trio of boys in Duncan Lee, Danial Nurhaqiem and Amir Amirul all gave a good account of themselves but bowed out in the third round.

Yee Xian on the other put up a much improved display to first beat Switzerland’s Campbell Wells 11-6, 11-7, 12-10 in the third round, before returning hours later to see off American Nicholas Spizzirri 11-6, 11-6, 11-7.

It’s a fine showing by the Melakan who reached the top eight for the first time in his last world juniors and it earned him a showdown with top seed and world No. 29 Mostafa Asal of Egypt.

The two-time defending champion wasn’t troubled much as he first downed England’s Jared Carter and then swept past an exhausted To Wai Lok of Hong Kong in the last 16.

“It’s much better, much controlled performance today compared to my second round match,” said Yee Xian.

“I’m obviously very happy to make it this far. It’s my first time in the top eight as last year I only made the last 16 so it’s an improvement.

“Of course it will be tough against Mostafa. Just look at the rankings. He’s in the top 30 in the world while I’m not even top 300. But as the underdog, I’m just going out there to enjoy the game with no pressure at all.”

Fourth round action in the women’s event produced the quarter-final line-up predicted by the seedings.

Favourite Hania El Hammamy, the Egyptian who finished as runner-up both in 2017 and 2018, cruised into the last eight courtesy of an 11-2, 11-4, 11-6 win over Hong Kong’s Lee Sum Yuet.

The 18-year-old from Cairo, who is ranked 15 in the world, will now face Hong Kong’s 5-8 seed Chan Sin Yuk for a place in her fourth successive semi-final.

For the Malaysian girls, Aifa had temporary blip as she dropped a game before beating India’s Sanya Vats 11-7, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6 in the third round. She however recovered superbly, taking all of 16 minutes to blow past Hong Kong’s Kirstie Wong 11-2, 11-3, 11-2 in the fourth round.

Yiwen on the other hand first squeezed past teammate Noor Ainaa Amani Ampandi in the third round before stepping it up to beat Egypt’s 9-12 seed Sana Ibrahim 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7.

The KL girl, who will also make the top eight for the first time, goes on to meet another Egyptian, 3-4 seed Farida Mohamed, who edged past 15-year-old Aira Azman 12-10, 12-10, 11-8, next.

“Sana put me under a lot of pressure and that’s how I lost the second game. But I made the adjustments according to come back strongly in the third and fourth (games),” said Yiwen.

“It’s good to justify my seeding. It’s also my first quarter-final showing and I’m looking forward to taking on Farida, whom I last met in January during the British Junior Open. It would be nice to take her down on home ground.”

Other Malaysian girls on the day – Yee Xin Ying and Ooi Kah Yan – lost out in the third and fourth rounds respectively.

Quarter-final match s will be played at the all-glass court will be aired by Squash TV free of charge. The first match will take place at local time 1pm (GMT +7).

Men’s 3rd round:
[1] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt Jared Carter (ENG) 11-9, 11-5, 11-4
To Wai Lok (HKG) bt Ayush Menon (USA) 4-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8
[5/8] Siow Yee Xian (MAS) bt Campbell Wells (SUI) 11-6, 11-7, 12-10
Nicholas Spizzirri (USA) bt Dana Santry (USA) 11-8, 11-5, 11-8
Lewis Anderson (ENG) bt [3/4] Viktor Byrtus (CZE) 11-9, 13-15, 11-4, 6-11, 11-6
[13/16] Karim Elbarbary (EGY) bt Dillon Huang (USA) 11-4, 11-1, 11-5
[5/8] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt Yash Fadte (IND) 13-15, 11-5, 7-11, 13-11, 11-6
[9/12] Veer Chotrani (IND) bt Darosham Khan (CAN) 11-2, 11-3, 4-11, 11-8
[9/12] Ibrahim Mohamed (EGY) bt Amir Amirul (MAS) 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9
[5/8] Sam Todd (ENG) bt Danial Nurhaqiem (MAS) 12-10, 11-5, 11-7
Muhammad Farhan Hashmi (PAK) bt [13/16] Thomas Rosini (USA) 11-9, 11-7, 4-11, 11-8
[3/4] Moustafa El Sirty (EGY) bt Max Forster (ENG) 11-4, 11-4, 11-5
[9/12] James Flynn (CAN) bt Duncan Lee (MAS) 11-7, 11-2, 8-11, 11-2
[5/8] Yehia Elnawasany (EGY) bt Noor Zaman (PAK) 11-9, 11-7, 14-12
Ben Smith (ENG) bt [13/16] Haris Qasim (PAK) 8-11, 2-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-7
[2] Omar El Torkey (EGY) bt Rahul Baitha (IND) 11-9, 11-2, 11-4

Men’s 4th round:
[1] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt To Wai Lok (HKG) 11-5, 11-5, 11-4
[5/8] Siow Yee Xian (MAS) bt Nicholas Spizzirri (USA) 11-6, 11-6, 11-7
Lewis Anderson (ENG) bt [13/16] Karim Elbarbary (EGY) 11-7, 11-7, 11-5
[9/12] Veer Chotrani (IND) bt [5/8] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 10-12, 11-6, 11-8, 11-3
[5/8] Sam Todd (ENG) bt [9/12] Ibrahim Mohamed (EGY) 11-8, 11-4, 4-11, 11-9
[3/4] Moustafa El Sirty (EGY) bt Muhammad Farhan Hashmi (PAK) 11-6, 11-5, 11-7
[5/8] Yehia Elnawasany (EGY) bt [9/12] James Flynn (CAN) 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 4-11, 11-6
[2] Omar El Torkey (EGY) bt Ben Smith (ENG) 11-8, 11-9, 11-6

Women’s 3rd round:
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Yee Ying (MAS) 14-12, 11-5, 11-4
Lee Sum Yuet (HKG) bt Brianna Jefferson (CAN) 12-10, 11-7, 11-9
[5/8] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) bt Yoshna Singh (IND) 11-3, 11-4, 11-4
[9/12] Alice Green (ENG) bt Lucia Bautista (COL) 11-1, 11-8, 11-6
[3/4] Farida Mohamed (EGY) bt Evie Coxon (ENG) 11-7, 15-13, 11-3
Aira Azman (MAS) bt [13/16] Olivia Robinson (USA) 11-5, 11-3, 11-5
[5/8] Chan Yiwen (MAS) bt Ainaa Ampandi (MAS) 11-8, 12-10, 11-6
[9/12] Sana Ibrahim (EGY) bt Malak Mostafa (EGY) 11-8, 13-15, 11-7, 11-9
[9/12] Ooi Kah Yan (MAS) bt Erica McGillicuddy (CAN) 11-8, 11-4, 11-4
[5/8] Elise Lazarus (ENG) bt Michaela Cepova (CZE) 11-5, 11-4, 11-8
Kirstie Po Yui Wong (HKG) bt Anika Jackson (NZL) 11-7, 11-5, 11-7
[3/4] Aifa Azman (MAS) bt Sanya Vats (IND) 11-7, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6
[9/12] Georgia Adderley (SCO) bt Aishwarya Khubchandani (IND) 8-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-9
[5/8] Marina Stefanoni (USA) bt Serena Daniel (USA) 11-4, 11-5, 11-6
[13/16] Nour Khaled Aboulmakarim (EGY) bt Caroline Spahr (USA) 11-7, 11-4, 11-9
[2] Jana Shiha (EGY) bt Ambre Allinckx (SUI) 11-8, 11-1, 11-9

Women’s 4th round:
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Lee Sum Yuet (HKG) 11-2, 11-4, 11-6
[5/8] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) bt [9/12] Alice Green (ENG) 11-5, 11-6, 11-7
[3/4] Farida Mohamed (EGY) bt Aira Azman (MAS) 12-10, 12-10, 11-8
[5/8] Chan Yiwen (MAS) bt [9/12] Sana Ibrahim (EGY) 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7
[5/8] Elise Lazarus (ENG) bt [9/12] Ooi Kah Yan (MAS) 11-8, 11-8, 11-8
[3/4] Aifa Azman (MAS) bt Kirstie Po Yui Wong (HKG) 11-2, 11-3, 11-2
[5/8] Marina Stefanoni (USA) bt [9/12] Georgia Adderley (SCO) 11-4, 11-8, 11-2
[2] Jana Shiha (EGY) bt [13/16] Nour Khaled Aboulmakarim (EGY) 11-5, 11-8, 11-5

Pictures courtesy of #WSFWorldJuniors2019 and Regina Ho