Images courtesy of US Squash and Dale Walker.
The 2014 U.S. Junior Open Squash Championships finals are set following Monday’s main draw quarterfinals and semifinals at Yale University’s Brady Squash Center in New Haven, Connecticut.
The U19 divisions will feature three Americans, including an All-American Girls’ final between the top two seeds: No. 1 seed Reeham Sedky and No. 2 seed Kayley Leonard who both won three-game semifinals against Canadians. Sedky held off the 2013 U17 champion Chloe Chemtob—11-1, 11-2, 11-7—to reach her third consecutive U19 final, and an opportunity to win her first U19 title. Leonard earned her first U19 final appearance against Harvard freshman Alyssa Mehta with an 11-3, 11-6, 13-11 victory.
Almost twenty-four hours after eliminating the Boy’s U19 top seed, and playing on the same court, Mexican Juan Gomez Dominguez found himself on the losing end of a thrilling five-game match against American Timmy Brownell. Gomez Dominguez, who edged past American Bransten Ming in the quarters, and Brownell went game for game until a decisive fifth, where Brownell held the lead until he closed out the match 11-8. Brownell’s final opponent is French world No. 214 Auguste Dussourd, who defeated Egyptian Amr Arafa 11-7, 11-6, 12-10 in his semifinal.
Japanese GU17 one seed Satomi Watanabe is on track for her second consecutive U.S. Junior Open title after winning the 2013 GU15 division. Watanabe survived a semifinal scare, however, against American Helen Teegan who won the first game 12-10. Watanabe then responded to win the match in four games 12-10, 11-5, 11-7. After upsetting second-seeded American Eleanore Evans in the quarterfinals, Egyptian Mariam Kamal continued her momentum in the semifinals against compatriot Raneem El Torky with a four-game victory.
With four Americans in the BU17 quarterfinals, Spencer Lovejoy was the sole American to advance through a marathon five-game victory over his countryman Sam Scherl. Lovejoy’s main draw then came to an end in the semifinals against top-seeded Egyptian Youssef Ibrahim, who has yet to drop a game in the tournament. Englishman Charlie Lee will vie for the Bu17 title against Ibrahim after defeating Mexican Jesus Camacho 13-11, 11-8, 12-10 in the semifinals.
Three Americans will contest finals in the lower age divisions Tuesday. Bellevue, Washington’s, Elena Wagenmans has yet to drop a game in the tournament and is up against Egyptian four seed Nada Abbas in the final. Abbas upset top-seeded American Elle Ruggiero in a four-game semifinal.
Exactly one week after winning the Canadian Junior Open GU15 title, Marina Stefanoni has the opportunity to win her first Gu13 U.S. Junior Open title after a third-place GU13 finish in 2013. Stefanoni defeated Meagan Best of Barbados in a three-game semifinal. Best made history for Barbados with her five-game come-back quarterfinal victory to become the first player from the island nation to reach a U.S. Junior Open semifinal.
The first American to contest a final Tuesday morning will be top-seeded Californian Varun Chitturi in the boys’ U11 division after two five-game victories in the quarters and semis. Chitturi will face Egyptian two seed Kareem El Torkey, who won both his quarterfinal and semifinal in three games.
View all scores and draws on the 2014 U.S. Junior Open Squash Championships Tournament Page.
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