WJC: Seedings & draws announced
Published Fri 07 Jul 2023
The countdown is now well and truly on to the the 2023 WSF World Junior Squash Championships in Melbourne with the seedings and draw confirmed for the individual events.
This year’s World Junior Championship, which will be played AT Melbourne Sports Centres (MSAC) from 18 to 29 July, will feature 245 entries across the men’s individual championship, the women’s individual championship and the women’s team championship.
In the men’s draw, England’s Jonah Bryant (pictured) and the Netherlands’ Rowan Damming are seeded to renew their rivalry in the final, with the English 17-year-old and the Dutch 18-year-old going in as number one and two seeds, respectively.
The pair have met already met five times in their junior careers, including three matches this year. Although Damming has a 2-3 losing record against Bryant, the Dutchman – who shocked the squash world when he won last year’s championship as the 5/8 seed to become the Netherlands’ first World Junior Champion – will take confidence from his impressive recent form on the professional circuit and his win over Bryant in their most recent meeting, a 3-1 victory at April’s European Junior U19 Team Championship.
Also tipped to go deep in the competition are Egyptian 15-year-old Mohamed Zakaria, who impressed last year as he gatecrashed the semi finals as a 9/16 seed, and Pakistan’s Hamza Khan, who returns after reaching the semi finals as the top seed last time out.
For the home fans, six men enter in the first round, with Ken Lamb, Dylan Classen, Harvey Allan, Connor Hayes, Oscar Curtis and Thomas Scott in day one action.
In the women’s draw, Egypt’s defending champion Amina Orfi (pictured) returns to defend her crown. The No.1 seed, who won the title last year after a number of stunning comebacks, made headlines this season on the PSA World Tour, reaching the final of the Squash On Fire Open in Washington DC and the last 16 at the senior World Championships.
Seeded to face the 16-year-old in the final is compatriot Fayrouz Aboelkheir, who will be aiming to avenge her semi final defeat to Orfi last year in Nancy.
Malak Khafagy is the third Egyptian in the top four seeds, with the Alexandrian joined at 3/4 seed by Asian Junior Champion Aira Azman, who is looking to be Malaysia’s first female winner since Nicol David beat Omneya Abdel Kawy in 2001.
As in the men’s draw, six women are representing Australia in the individual event. In round one, Shona Coxsedge faces Chinese Taipei’s Yen-Chi Chen, Courtney Scholtz takes on Ireland’s Sarah Sabry and Hannah Slyth plays Scotland’s Louisa Kaven. Erin Classen, Madison Lyon and Amelie Guziak receive byes through to round two.
WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS - AUSTRALIAN ROUND 1 MATCHES
Men
Ken Lamb (NSW) v Luhann Groenewald (RSA)
Dylan Classen (WA) v Yi-An Pan (TPE)
Arthur Pak Ki Law (HKG) v Harvey Allan (VIC)
Connor Hayes (VIC) v Nickhileswar Moganasundharam (MAS)
Oscar Curtis (WA) v Keng In Leong (MAC)
Thomas Scott (NSW) v Rory Richmond (SCO)
Women
Erin Classen (WA) v BYE; Rd 2 v Ocean Ma (CAN)
Madison Lyon (QLD) v BYE; Rd 2 v Tiana Parasrampuria (IND)
Amelie Guziak (VIC) v BYE; Rd 2 v Iman Shaheen (CAN)
Shona Coxsedge (QLD) v Yen-Chi Chen (TPE)
Courtney Scholtz (VIC) v Sarah Sabry (IRE)
Hannah Slyth (WA) v Louisa Kaven (SCO)
MEN’S SEEDS
[1] Jonah Bryant (ENG)
[2] Rowan Damming (NED)
[3/4] Hamza Khan (PAK)
[3/4] Mohamed Zakaria (EGY)
[5/8] David Bernet (SUI)
[5/8] Joachim Chuah (MAS)
[5/8] Salman Khalil (EGY)
[5/8] Juan Jose Torres Lara (COL)
[9/16] Kareem El Torkey (EGY)
[9/16] Krishna Mishra (IND)
[9/16] Dylan Moran (IRL)
[9/16] Hollis Robertson (USA)
[9/16] Melvil Scianimanico (FRA)
[9/16] Yassin Shohdy (EGY)
[9/16] Omar Said Sobhy (EGY)
[9/16] Rishi Srivastava (USA)
WOMEN’S SEEDS
[1] Amina Orfi (EGY)
[2] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY)
[3/4] Aira Azman (MAS)
[3/4] Malak Khafagy (EGY)
[5/8] Caroline Fouts (USA)
[5/8] Asia Harris (ENG)
[5/8] Zeina Zein (EGY)
[5/8] Anahat Singh (IND)
[9/16] Lauren Baltayan (FRA)
[9/16] Nadien Elhammamy (EGY)
[9/16] Amelie Haworth (ENG)
[9/16] Madison Ho (USA)
[9/16] Savannah Margot Ingledew (RSA)
[9/16] Sehveetrraa Kumar (MAS)
[9/16] Nour Megahed (EGY)
[9/16] Riya Navani (USA)
