The latest in the WSF calendar, the Under-21 World Cup proved to be a big draw in Chennai. The significance of this event was that it brought together some of the best juniors of whom the world of squash is bound to hear more often in the seasons to come.
The future
Some like Egypt's Marwan El Shorbagy, Nour El Tayeb and Nour El Sherbini are already world junior champions, not to mention India's Dipika Pallikal, currently World number 14. Talents from seven countries were in the field but the three who drew attention most for their individual flair were Lucas Serme of France, Karim Abdel Gawad of Egypt and Charles Sharpes of England. All of them have just touched 20 but already have a squash identity of their own from the way they exhibited their court-craft.
Stylist
If Serme is a stylist with perfect ballet movement in his awesome court coverage, then Gawad is a cool, imperturbable something that makes him a ‘crisis man' in his team. Sharpes believes in power-packed drives and generally he symbolises aggression on the court. Like his soft-touch play, Serme is a soft-spoken young man with high ambitions. Coming from a family of sportspersons, his father was a hoopster and sister a squash player herself, Serme could have been a tennis player. In his initial years, around seven or eight years of age, he was into tennis but his sister's influence drew him to squash and as they say, “he has not looked back since.” Much of his early squash was played in Paris and slowly as he began to win whatever tournaments there were to win, Serme rose in stature and 2010 brought him the best prize yet of his career — the European junior champion tag. For one who idolizes the French squash star Gregory Gaultier, currently World number three, some of his cherished moments were those spent with his idol in the last few years as part of a training exercise. Currently studying in Bristol (UK), Serme trains there as he has launched his professional career. Ranked 140 now, Serme aims to reach the top 100 by 2013.
Cool customer
If Serme provided the opening move, often the winning one, for France in the World Cup then for Gawad the role was to anchor the team's (Egypt) fortunes. As it happened twice, Gawad, a cool customer, had to show his potential to ensure victory for Egypt, the second time being in the final against India's fighting Ramit Tandon. Egypt's well known coach Amir Wahi, thought Gawad is a precious talent, who will in the seasons ahead become one of the best in the World. “He is a business student, has to devote a lot of time for studies, but once he is out of it in a year or two, you will speak of Gawad like other top stars of Egypt,” assures Wahi. “He has everything that a good player should have as skills but what makes him different is his calm head and thinking mind. Under pressure he will not melt easily,” he adds. What can you say of a youngster, who already has four PSA tour titles in a professional career that has just about started! Charles Sharpes can be sharp but as it happens to players of his age; he can be impetuous, a tendency which in due course as he gains experience, he will overcome.
Bright prospect
With the U-17 and U-19 British open titles, Sharpes, who hails from Kingston-upon-Thames, a South West London area, is considered one of the brightest prospects of the country. None other than the World number two James Willstrop, who has played him believes that “Sharpes has everything he needs to be good.” In Chennai he also showed a brief glimpse of his ability to take ‘revenge' when he ousted Lucas Serme in the play-off for the third place.
