Team USA has made history by producing eighteen British Junior Open quarterfinalists–topping a previous best of sixteen last year–after two days of play in Birmingham, England.
The U.S. contingent enjoyed a strong start to the tournament with thirty-five of fifty-eighty players reaching the round of sixteen over the first two days of play, January 2-3.
Oscar Okonkwo (BU19), Brandan Tagliarini (BU17), Aiden Chan (BU15) and Alice Huang (GU13) all upset higher seeds or exceeded their seedings to reach the round of sixteen. Four Americans exceeded their seedings to reach the quarterfinals including Riva Bhagwati, Alex Jaffe, Alexander Dartnell and Brendon Chan.
Bhagwati and Jaffe produced the biggest upsets of the tournament for Team USA so far as both dispatched 5/8 seeds to reach the quarterfinals. Bhagwati overcame Malaysia’s Harleein Tan 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9 to set up a quarterfinal against Egypt’s two seed Malika El Karaksy. Jaffe defeated Egypt’s Rouqaia Othman 13-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-9 to face France’s 3/4 seed Lauren Baltayan on Saturday.
Dixon Hill and Carlton Capella will both face the U19 top seeds on the University of Birmingham show court Saturday.
Team USA will have the most quarterfinal representation in the GU11 and GU15 divisions with three players amongst the last eight. Team USA is guaranteed at least one semifinalist in the BU15 division where Vivaan Mehta and John-Jayden Luo are set for an all-American match up.
For streaming information and more tournament coverage visit britishjunioropen.com.
Team USA Quarterfinalists
[3/4] Anderson Morgan (BU11)
[5/8] Ariana Valerio (GU11)
[5/8] Lilliana Fan (GU11)
[3/4] Alice Wang (GU11)
[9/16] Brendon Chan (BU13)
[3/4] John-Jayden Luo (BU15)
[5/8] Vivaan Mehta (BU15)
[5/8] Vivienne Sze (GU15)
[5/8] Isabella Tang (GU15)
[5/8] Chelsea Chen (GU15)
[9/16] Riva Bhagwati (GU17)
[5/8] Charlotte Sze (GU17)
[3/4] Jack Elriani (BU17)
[5/8] Yaseen Shalaby (BU17)
[5/8] Dixon Hill (GU19)
[9/16] Alex Jaffe (GU19)
[5/8] Christian Capella (BU19)
[9/16] Alexander Dartnell (BU19)