Teen Ishant squashing the odds at British Junior Open

KUALA LUMPUR: Ishant Shah may be only the joint fifth-eighth seed but he is having a superb run in the boys’ Under-17 event of the British Junior Open squash championships in Birmingham.

The Penang-born player played his guts out to upset Neel Joshi of India in a thrilling 11-8,5-11,8-11,11-5,11-6 five setter in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

Ishant will face joint fifth-eighth seed Ahmed Aly of Egypt in the semi-finals.

The Egyptian came back from a set down to beat his countryman Ahmed Ismail 7-11,12-10,11-7,11-6 in the quarter-finals.

Another Malaysian C. Ameeshenraj, who featured in the boys’ Under-17 category, lost 11-7,4-11,8-11,7-11 to Pakistan’s Noor Zaman in the quarter-finals.

Azman sisters Aira and Aifa also advanced into the semi-finals.

Top seed Aira beat Egypt’s Malak Khafagy in straight sets11-8,11-5,11-7 to set up a date with joint third-fourth seed Nour Khaled Abdoulmakarim in the semi-finals of the girls’ Under-17 division.

Second seed Aifa, who is gunning for her fourth title in the prestigious championships, also had no problem eliminating Malak Mostafa of Egypt 11-7,11-7,11-9 in the girls’ Under-19 category.

Aifa, who has bagged Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 titles, will take on another Egyptian Farida Mohamed for a place in the final.

The other Malaysian player who reached the semi-finals is joint third-fourth seed Harleein Tan in the girls’ Under-13 category.

The Negri Sembilan lass beat Elcke Mols of Holland 11-5,11-4,11-9 to face top seed Jana Mohamad of Egypt for a place in the final.

Joint fifth-eighth seed Yee Xin Ying gave a good fight to second seed Sana Ibrahim of Egypt before going down in five sets 10-12,11-8,11-8,5-11,11-13 in the girls’ Under-17 category.

RESULTS

Boys

Under-11

Third round: Jayden Oon (Mas) bt Christian Dromgoole (Irl) 11-7,11-5,11-7.

Quarter-finals: Yassin Azouz (Egy) bt Jayden Oon (Mas) 11-6,11-8,3-11,11-8

Under-15

Third round: Harith Danial Jefri (Mas) bt Caleb Boy (Eng) 13-11,11-7,15-13.

Quarter-finals

Under-15: Mohd Humza Khan (Pak) bt Harith Danial Jefri (Mas) 11-4,11-3,11-8.

Under-17

Quarter-finals: Ishant Shah (Mas) bt Neel Joshi (Ind) 11-8,5-11,8-11,11-5,11-6; Noor Zaman (Pak) bt C. Ameeshenraj (Mas) 7-11,11-4,11-8,11-7.

Girls

Under-11

Quarter-finals: Harleein Tan (Mas) bt Elcke Mals (Hol) 11-5,11-4,11-9.

Under-13

Third round: Lauren Baltayan (Fra) bt Doyce Lee Ye San (Mas) 11-7,11-7,14-12.

Under-15

Quarter-finals: Malak Taha (Egy) bt K. Sehveetrraa (Mas) 11-6,11-9,11-3.

Under-17

Quarter-finals: Aira Azman (Mas) bt Malak Khafagy (Egy) 11-8,11-5,11-7; Sana Mahmoud Ibrahim (Egy) bt Yee Xin Ying (Mas) 12-10,8-11,8-11,11-5,13-11.

Under-19

Quarter-finals: Marina Stefanoni (US) bt Ainaa Ampandi (Mas) 11-9,11-4,11-7; Aifa Azman (Mas) bt Malak Mostafa (Egy) 11-7,11-7,11-9.