[jbutton size=”large” color=”blue” link=”https://www.ussquash.com/teamusa/2015-world-junior-championships/” newpage=”yes”]Team USA WJC Page[/jbutton]
[jbutton size=”large” color=”blue” link=”http://wsfworldjuniors.com/” newpage=”yes”]WSF World Junior Championships[/jbutton]
Team USA’s Gabriel Morgan and Kayley Leonard upset seeds in the first two rounds of the 2015 WSF World Junior Championships men’s and women’s individual events Sunday at Squash Time in Eindhoven, Holland.
Morgan, Leonard, and U.S. teammates Sabrina Sobhy, Reeham Sedky, Casey Wong, and Timmy Brownell all reached the main draw’s last thirty-two, with the rounds of thirty-two and sixteen set to play out Monday. Team USA’s Haley Scott, Eleonore Evans, Spencer Lovejoy, Max Reed, and Sean Hughes will continue play through consolation draws.
Leonard stole tournament headlines after pulling off the biggest upset of the first two rounds in either draw over Belgium’s 5/8-seeded Tinne Gilis. After a first-round walkover, Leonard battled through five games pull away from 8-8 in the fifth game to clinch the upset 11-9.
“That was a really tough one, ” said Leonard after her fifty-five-minute 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 win, “especially the fifth—I was 8-3 up and then it was 8-all, and it was really tight at the end. I knew I was the underdog, so I had to put all my strength out there, and I’m so pleased to win.”
Team USA’s seeds Sabrina Sobhy, 5/8, and Reeham Sedky, 13/16, both advanced to the last thirty-two with a bye and a three-game victory. Joining them in the last thirty-two is Wong, who won a three-game opener before defeating Switzerland’s Celine Walser.
Eleonore Evans lost a close five-game first-round match against Hong Kong’s Hiu Lam Lui 11-4, 11-4, 11-13, 7-11, 11-8, and will continue play Monday in the consolations. After a three-game opening victory, Scott drew Egypt’s two seed Nouran Gohar, who defeated Scott 11-4, 11-2, 11-3.
After winning his opener in three games, World Junior Championships debutant Morgan took out Australia’s 13/16-seeded Solayman Nowrozi in a five-game upset to reach Monday’s last thirty-two. The Menlo Park, California-native won the decisive fifth game 16-14.
After a breakthrough 2014 World Junior Championships, Brownell began his 2015 campaign with a bye and three-game victory. The Belmont Hill rising senior now faces Switzerland’s 13/16 seed Dimitri Steinmann, the winner of which will likely face top-seeded Diego Elias in the quarterfinals.
After a three-game opening victory over Sweden’s Anton Larsson, Lovejoy fell in a close contest against Pakistan’s two Tayyab Aslam 11-8, 11-9, 11-9. Hughes also recorded a first-round three-game victory over Belgium’s Sanjay Jeeva, before Egyptian 5/8 seed Saadeldin Abouaish defeated Hughes 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 in the second round. After a first-round bye, Reed lost a close encounter against France’s Enzo Corigliano 11-6, 9-11, 12-14, 8-11.
For live scores, the live-streamed show court, reports and more, visit the WSF World Junior Championships website.