Assal, Rowan new World Junior Squash champions

Assal, who has already won three PSA titles this calendar year, made light work of his country mate as he racked up an emphatic win in straight games. Assal had a tournament to remember, bagging the title without dropping a game. In the women’s juniors, top seed Rowan Reda Araby defended her title. 

Tarek got off to a decent start and managed to have a one-point advantage near the half-way mark of the first game but the 17-year-old unleased his best when it mattered the most in front of a capacity crowd. After an exhausting semi-final match against Omar El Torkey on Sunday, Tarek failed to match Assal’s fluent array of strokes. 

The British Junior (Under-17) Open title-winner made full use of Tarek’s tiredness and wrapped up the opening game 11-7. The pattern was similar in the following game as Assal came back from behind to take a three-point lead. Despite levelling the scores at 11-11, Tarek failed to peg back and handed the game to Assal.  

There was no stopping Assal in the third game as well, with him asserting his supremacy and eventually winning the championship with a scoreline of 11-7, 13-11, 11-4. “Tarek was tired from the game against El Torkey but he did put up a fight. I am happy with the way I performed, happy for my family, country and coaches,” Assal was pleased with his victory.

Earlier in the day, Rowan played an exciting summit clash against Hania El Hammamy. Rowan maintained her record of having never lost to the second seeded Hania at the World Juniors, while the latter has a clean sweep over her opponent at the British Junior Open.  Rowan was not made to sweat much in the first two games and looked at ease even in the third until

Hania produced moments of magic. She saved four championship points and went on to win the game 12-10, keeping herself alive. Her exhibition of never-say-die attitude made her an immediate fan favourite. But, it was curtains for Hania as Rowan came back strongly to emerge victorious in the fourth game with a score of 119. “It was the toughest match of the tournament for me. 

We are used to playing close games but the scores today (Monday) might not suggest so. I am really happy that I defended my title,” said two-time champion Rowan.   

Results: Final: Men: Mostafa Assal (Egypt) beat Marwan Tarek (Egypt) 11-7, 13-11, 11-4; Women: Rowan Reda Araby (Egypt) beat Hania El Hammamy (Egypt) 11-4, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9