CHENNAI: The glittering silverwares of the world junior championship, it seemed, was pre-ordained for the Egyptians. And the last of their three titles, the girls’ team championship achieved on Saturday at the Indian Squash Academy, was rather ritualistic in perspective. Hong Kong’s epitaph was pre-worded, in Hieroglyphic perhaps. Expectedly, Egypt cleaned up the unprecedented finalists 2-0 in less than 45 minutes.
It was befitting that Nour El Sherbini landed the parting blow. The 13-year-old was their brightest star, and she sparkled throughout, except perhaps in the semifinal on Friday against American Amanda Sobhy. But unlike on last Sunday, she quietly stepped out of the box, with the serenity of someone who had neatly accomplished her job. She was expected to win, and she achieved that with aplomb.
Sherbini’s hapless opponent Tsz Wing Tong could defy her for so long as the first five minutes of the match, patterned in every game. The former was supremely equipped to douse the Hong Kong’s doughty challenge at 11-8, 11-6 and 11-6. If one facet of her game deserved special mention, that was her forehand slaps to the corners, ones that fell dead at the gentlest contact with the corner.
Tong was at best crisp and opportunistic, athletic and agile. But she couldn’t match the sheer audacity of Sherbini, not her immaculate grace. If the indication of the junior champion is any, she is marked for bigger feats.
Her senior compatriot Heba El Torky, whom she had beaten in the quarterfinals of the junior individual championship, launched Egypt off to a frenetic start. Snapping the first 11-6, Heba stuttered midway through the second against Tsz Ling Liu and surprisingly conceded it 11-2. This was the lone blemish in an otherwise clinical display of aggressive squash. But she regrouped herself to seize the initiative and won the remaining games 11-5, 11-6.
India finish third
Edging the US 2-1 in the loser’s final, India registered their best-ever performance in the World Junior Girls Team Championship. Dipika Pallikal beat Olivia Blatchford to furnish India the lead, before Amanda Sobhy snuffed Surbhi Misra to square the table. But Anaka Alankamony staved off a rousing resistance from Julie Cerullo in five games to steer India.
Results (final): Egypt bt Hong Kong 2-0 (Heba El Torky bt Tsz Ling Liu 11-6, 2-11, 11-5, 11-6, Nour El Sherbini bt Tsz Wing Tong 11-8, 11-6, 11-6).
Third-fourth play-off: India bt the USA 2-1 (Dipika Pallikal beat Oliva Blatchford 11-6 11-7 11-5, Surbhi Misra lost to Amanda Sobhy 3-11 6-11 12-10 4-11, Anaka Alankamony beat Julie Cerullo 3-11 11-5 11-8 10-12 11-8.
Final placings: 1. Egypt; 2. Hong Kong; 3.
India; 4. USA; 5. Canada; 6. England; 7. Malaysia; 8. New Zealand.