Egypt steamrollers India

By Raju Chainani

PENANG, JULY 26. Egypt took just 51 minutes to brush aside India 3-0 and enter the semifinals of the 9th World junior women's team squash championships. On Friday, Egypt play host Malaysia, which had a hard fought 2-1 win over Australia. The second semifinal features England taking on USA. The four times champion, England beat Germany 3-0, while USA continued its storming run with a 2-1 defeat of New Zealand.

Omneya Abdel Kawy dropped just six points in her 9-3, 9-2, 9-1 win over Joshna Chinappa. The match lasted just 14 minutes. The best of the Indian trio was Supriya Balsekar, who gave Sara Badr a tremendous fight in the first game before bowing out 7-9, 1-9, 3-9 in 20 minutes. Amna El Tarabolsy cleaned up for the defending champion with a 9-4, 9-4 win over Vaidehi Reddy but this was for the record books and will show that the rubber lasted 17 minutes.

``Egypt was a far superior side,'' said coach Rajiv Reddy. However, he was concerned over Joshna's form. ``She has been off the boil in her last few matches. It was a similar story today though in fairness, I must say that Omneya was just too strong for her. We were pleased with Supriya's performance and intend to continue with her at number three for the remaining ties. We meet Australia tomorrow in the play-off for positions 5- 8. It's going to be tough but our girls are under no pressure.''

Sensational win for Malaysia

Tricia Chuah delivered the crucial blow to take Malaysia through to the semifinals. In a tense 39 minute encounter, Chuah defeated Australia's Amelia Pittock 9-4, 7-9, 9- 5, 9-1 in what was undoubtedly the match of the day. The tie hinged on it after Nicol David had decimated Lisa Camelliri 9-1, 9-1, 9-0 in 12 minutes but Georgina Davis restored parity with a 5-9, 9-4, 9-4, 9-1 win over the gallant Teng Ooi Ean in a 28 minute match.

Chuah was out to prove her critics wrong. She had received some stick from the local media for a couple of lacklustre performances but on Thursday, all this was left behind. She drew away from 3-3 to take the first game 9-4. Chuah led 5-4 in the second but things stated to go wrong and Pittock won the game.

The pressure was mounting. The crowd egged Chuah on. They applauded every point she won. One could feel the tension in the air. When Pittock went 5-2 up in the third, the Malaysian camp was worried. But, Chuah had something up her sleeve as she won sixteen of the next seventeen points. A backhand crosscourt ended this encounter. There were hugs, smiles, flashbulbs, television crews.

England sweeps past Germany

England began tentatively as Jenny Duncalf surprisingly dropped the opener to Kathrin Rohrmuller but soon set that right as she posted a 5-9, 9-0, 9-4, 9-4 scoreline after 38 minutes. Alison Waters assured the four times champion of a semifinal berth with a 20 minute 9-3, 9-1, 9-5 win over Sandra Zeimels and Laura-Jane Lengthorn made it a clean sweep, as she beat Jennifer Post 10-8, 9-3 in the dead rubber.

``We played at full strength. Jenny was slow in the initial stages but was in good nick in the last three games. Kathrin came up with some good strokes. Alison and Laura were good enough to win well. We play USA tomorrow. We shall not take them lightly. They are on a high and have commanded the respect of the top teams,'' said England manager David Campion.

Impressive show by America

The American bandwagon rolled on. Michelle Quibelle recovered from 0-4 in the opener, saved a gamepoint at 7-8 and two errors from Kylie Lindsay helped her win this important game. She had no problems in the second and third. After 29 minutes, the Americans were ahead and they consolidated this when Alexandra Pearson defeated Catherine McLeod 9-3, 8-10, 9-2, 9-1 in 42 minutes. For the first time since it made its debut in the World championships in 1985, USA was in the semifinals.

The best it had done previously was a fifth place finish at Antwerp in 1999. Today, it was celebration time and the third match was of academic interest. Jacyln Hawkes beat Amy Gross 10- 9, 10-9 to give the Kiwis a consolation point.

``It is a huge win for us,'' said coach Aidan Harrison, ``I am speechless. After beating Australia, we were confident and did not want people to think that win was a fluke. We watched the Kiwis and knew they would come at us. We had told the girls to concentrate on the basics. They did marvellously well.''

lThe results (quarterfinals): Egypt bt India 3-0. (Omneya Abdel Kawy bt Joshna Chinappa 9-3, 9-2, 9-1; Sara Badr bt Supriya Balsekar 9-7, 9-1, 9-3; Amna El Tarabolsy bt Vaidehi Reddy 9-4, 9-4).

USA bt New Zealand 2-1. (Michelle Quibell bt Kylie Lindsay 10-8, 9-2, 9-5; Alexandra Pearson bt Catherine McLeod 9- 3, 8-10, 9-2, 9-1; Amy Gross lost to Jaclyn Hawkes 9-10, 9- 10).

Malaysia bt Australia 2-1. (Nicol David bt Lisa Camelliri 9-1, 9- 1, 9-0; Teng Ooi Ean lost to Georgina Davis 9-5, 4-9, 4-9, 1-9; Tricia Chuah bt Amelia Pittock 9-4, 7-9, 9-5, 9- 1).

England bt Germany 3-0. (Jenny Duncalf bt Kathrin Rohrmuller 5-9, 9-0, 9-4, 9-4; Alison Waters bt Sandra Zeimels 9-3, 9-1, 9-5; Laura-Jane Lengthorn bt Jennifer Post 10- 8, 9-3).

Positions 9-16: Netherlands bt Hong Kong 2-1; Canada bt Singapore 3-0.

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