U.S. Seeded to Meet Egypt in Team Finals as Pool Play Begins Today

Nour El Tayeb (r) defeated former champion Nour El Sherbini, 11-5, 3-11, 11-7, 11-8, to win the Women’s World Junior Individual Squash Championship in Boston, MA. Tayeb, who had also reached the final the previous two years, losing to El Sherbinin in 2009, wasn’t about to let her final crack the the world title get away, winning the final two games after El Sherbini had leveled the match at 1 all.

As in their previous meeting in the 2009 final, the first game went well for El Tayeb, who took an early lead of 4-1, extending it to 9-3 before closing out the game. But, again as it had in 2009, the second game went away from the top seed as 3/4 seed El Sherbini, still aged only 15, built up a 9-3 lead before taking the game to draw level. It was nip and tuck throughout the third and fourth games until two winners in a row brought El Tayeb her first match-ball at 10-7. A daring, but unsuccessful, long drop temporarily reduced the gap for El Sherbini, but when the underdog’s boast later then clipped the tin, El Tayeb was finally able to celebrate her status as World Champion.

Final:
[1] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt [3/4] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 11-5, 3-11, 11-7, 11-8 (42m)

U.S. Seeded #2 as Pool Play Gets Underway

Team pool play begins today with the U.S. seeded to meet Egypt in the finals. The U.S. team will look to improve on their fourth place finish at the 2009 World Championships in Chennai, India.