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2001 World Junior Women's Championships:
Preview
Martin Bronstein, Squashtalk reporter on the scene
in Penang's Squash Centre.
[also:
Press report]
All content © 2001 Squashtalk
by Martin Bronstein, Penang,
10 July 2001
All content ©
2001 Squashtalk
PREVIEW OF 9TH World Junior Womens Championships Penang, Malaysia 14-28 July 2001
THE HOMETOWN CHAMPIONSHIPS
I cant tell you if they planned it or it was just a matter of pure luck but
Malaysia are hosting the Junior womens championships in exactly the right
year in the countrys squash history: they have the players and talent to
sweep the board in both the individual and team championships. (If the wimps
on the Australian Olympic committee had nominated squash rather than beach
volleyball where voyeuristic sex meets sport they too could have had the
same situation in senior squash).
THE BIG LITTLE UN
Nicol David is head and shoulders (despite her diminutive size) above the
other contenders for the individual title. Not even that wonderful Egyptian
talent Omneya Abdel Kawy is given a chance of stopping David from an historical
second world junior title. Historical because no other player has ever won
two world junior titles. No other junior player has reached the second round
of the senior world open at such a young age: David was 17 last year when
she showed the big girls what is ahead for them in the next ten years.
WHAT PRICE EGYPT?
In the week following the individual championships 14 countries will contest
the junior team championship with hosts Malaysia being seeded one despite
finishing third in Antwerp in 1999. The WSF seeding committee tends to take
the finishing order in the previous championship as a guide for the seeding,
because, unlike the seniors, there are few tournaments to indicate form at
under 19. Nevertheless, Malaysia is so strong in depth that they have been
promoted to first seed, with Egypt, who won the title two years ago, at second
seed. These are only provisional seedings the order could change after the
quarter-finals of the individual when the committee can judge how the players
are shaping up. I think there will be a switch at the top: Egypt has put a
lot of serious time and money into their junior program and I expect them
to take the title again.
ENGLAND DEMOTED BUT ENVIED
England have contested every one of the previous eight finals, winning four
times. Although they were beaten in Antwerp by Egypt, they too have been dropped
a rung, seeded three, just above the USA who finished fifth two years ago,
their highest ever finish since they first entered the fray in 1987 when they
finished 11th out of 12.
But Michelle Quibelle, the US number one, became the first American to win a British Open junior title this year, a very good indication of the growing strength of American squash since the universities ditched the hardball in the early 90s. The England team will be the envy of most other nations with their lottery money allowing them to arrive in Penang with coaches Annette Pilling and David Campion (who led England boys to a world title in Milan last year), a physio, a trainer and a sports psychologist. I must say it is gratifying to see Brit sportsman acting like professionals after 150 years of playing the gifted amateur (viz: Chariots of Fire).And oh!, by the way, if you have any Limey friends, dont mention the cricket test matches being played between England and Australia right now. Hell almost certainly punch you in the nose. Very, very hard.
NETHERLANDS GETS INTO THE ACT
For the first time ever, the Dutch are entering a team, having only participated
in senior events up until now. They will go to make up for some of the absentees:
of the 19 teams who played in Antwerp in 1999 seven have not entered: Belgium,
Denmark, Finland, France, Scotland, South Africa and Wales. Singapore are
back in after an eight year absence, finishing last of 14 teams in 1993.
DAILY REPORTING ON SQUASHTALK
I shall be in Penang for the whole two weeks to bring you daily reports. Action
starts in the luxurious Penang Squash Centre with its 10 singles courts and
two doubles courts. (Softball doubles same length as singles court but four
feet wider). All the courts are glass back and have seating capacities varying
between 30 and 150. From the quarter-final onwards action moves to the Penang
Internationals Sports arena where a four wall glass court will be surrounded
by 5,000 seats, a fitting venue for a world event and a helluva lot better
than the facilities endured by the boys for their world championship last
year in Milan.
SEEDINGS INDIVIDUAL:
The anticipated line-up of the last sixteen in the individual event, based
on the draw, is: [1] Nicol David (MAS) v [9/16] Tina Rix (ENG), [5/8] Kathrin
Rohrmuller (GER) v [9/16] Alison Waters (ENG), [3] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) v [9/16]
Milja Dorenbos (NED), [5/8] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) v [9/16] Line Hansen
(DEN), [5/8] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) v [9/16] Dagmar Feddern (DEN), [4] Tricia
Chuah (MAS) v [9/16] Manuela Zehnder (SUI), [5/8] Michelle Quibell (USA) v
[9/16] Nadine Bahgat (EGY), [2] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) v [9/16] Amelia Pittock
(AUS).
TEAMS: The fourteen countries competing in the team event, in seeding order, are: 1 Malaysia, 2 Egypt, 3 England, 4 USA, 5 Australia, 6 Germany, 7 Switzerland, 8 Canada, 9 Netherlands, 10 India, 11 New Zealand, 12 Hong Kong, 13 Ireland, 14 Singapore.
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