Harvard’s Murr Centre was buzzing with excitement this afternoon, but before that we had seven playoff matches to determine the finishing order from third to sixteenth.

Hong Kong can be well pleased with their third place, Wales made the top eight for the first time, and Guyana won the matchup with Ecuador to see which debutant would finish higher.

We’ll be doing a page per team, and over over the next few days we’ll hopefully get round to them all !

Finals Day … who else but the finalists: Egypt | USA

Issue #3:

New Zealand a mean Haka …

England meet Beet and the crew …

India going for it against the US …

Guyana having a great time

#2:  South Africa |  Hong Kong |  Germany

#1: Meet Malaysia

In the end it was Haley Mendez who won the decider to clinch that spot to the delight of the home crowd, but honestly, it could just as easily have been India.

By contrast defending champions Egypt’s progress to a fifth consecutive final was undramatic as they beat last time’s runners-up Hong Kong with a match to spare.  Do we have a Dream Final … you bet.

USA 2-1 INDIA
Amanda Sobhy 3-0 Anaka Alankamony   11/8, 11/8, 11/5 (21m)
Olivia Blatchford 0-3 Saumya Karki 7/11, 9/11, 9/11 (28m)
Haley Mendez 3-1 Aparajitha Balamurukan   11/8, 4/11, 11/9, 11/9 (42m)

EGYPT 2-0 HONG KONG
Nour El Tayeb 3-0 Ho Ka Po 11/3, 11/2, 11/4 (19m)
Nour El Sherbini 3-1 Ka Yi Lee  11/5, 10/12, 12/10, 11/2 (30m)
third match not played

5/8 Semis:
Malaysia 2-1 Wales (1-3, 3-0, 3-0 ), England 2-1 New Zealand (3-2, 0-3, 3-2 )

9/12 Semis:
Canada 2-1 France (1-3, 3-2, 3-2 ), Australia 2-1 Germany (3-1, 0-3, 3-0 )

13/16 Semis:
Netherlands 3-0 Guyana (3-0, 3-0, 2-1 ), South Africa 3-0 Ecuador (3-0, 3-0, 2-0)

Full Team Draws | Team Results Listing | Photo Galleries

USA make a first-ever final … just

The hosts and favourites to make the final for a first time got off to a great start in the first semi-final as Amanda Sobhy won at the top string, beating Anaka Alankamony in straight games, but it wasn’t as comfortable as that sounds. Things were tight in both of the first two games, but it was the American who had the necessary extra at the end of both, taking them 11/8, 11/8. The opening of the third was close too, but from 4-all the end came quickly as Sobhy powered in shots which were either outright winners or forced errors from her opponent.

India levelled though as Saumya Karki put in a really strong performance against Olivia Blatchford, and it was the American who looked to be feeling the pressure more. A good lead in the first was converted 11/7, and Karki moved 6/1 ahead in the second. Then the nerves hit the Indian, and a succession of errors, forced and unforced, brought Blatchford back into it, 8-all. Karki settled just in time to double her lead 11/9. The third was close all the way, and 9-all it was again, but a tin from Blatchford and a stroke down the middle of the court and we were in for a decider.

And what a decider it was, you couldn’t have asked for more really. Hayley Mendez squeezed home in the first, from 8-all to 11/8, but then went tentative as Aparajitha Balamurukan uppsed the pace and started to dominate in the second, taking it 11/4. Either of the third and fourth games could have gone either way (if that makes sense!) –  Aparijitha led for most of the third but Haley took the last five points for 11/9 to regain the lead, and in the fourth the lead changed hands time after time, but once again it was the American who took the final three points for 11/9 again and the crowd erupted.

“Thirty minutes after the match my nerves are fine, but I wasn’t so calm while that match was on a knife edge!

“Haley is so fit, she just kept on going, kept on running and worked so hard to pull that victory out for us.

“All credit to her opponent, but  Olivia needs to play faster, she was too passive tonight and you certainly won’t get anything playing the Egyptians that way, but she knows that an she’ll be fine tomorrow.

“Amanda was solid again. She’s saving her best squash for the final – she was gutted by the result in the individuals and tomorrow’s an opportunity to show that she’s at the same level as the World Champion.

“Making the final was everything for us – it means we’ve medalled for sure, which is a first, certainly in my lifetime, and there’s still a title to play for. The pressure was all on us tonight, but  tomorrow it’s on Egypt as the defending champions, we’ll just give it all we’ve got…”

Jack Wyant

Watch the video of the closing stages

Five in a row for Egypt

No disrespect to Hong Kong, but the second semi-final was never likely to be a thriller in the vein of the one preceding it. True, Hong Kong are past champions and made the final last time out, but they have a new, young team that will definitely be a force in two years’ time, but now, here in Boston, two-time defending champions Egypt were always going to be too strong, especially as they were able to field World Junior Champions in the first two matches to be played.

The day started off with a tense battle between third and fourth seeds India and England, and altough the English had their chances it was India who went through 2-0. Then Malaysia and Hong Kong met to provide a second Asian semi-finalist, and it was the young Hong Kong team who came from behind to beat their higher-seeded rivals in another thriller.

Defending champions Egypt and hosts USA are firm favourites to reach Saturday’s final, and today they both faced unexpected opposition in Wales and New Zealand who both upset the seedings to reach the last eight. Egypt won comfortably enough but the USA were taken to a decider by the Kiwis.

Quarter-Finals (playing order 1,3,2) :

INDIA 2-0 ENGLAND
Anaka Alankamony 3-1 Emily Whitlock   11/7, 11/5, 9/11, 11/9 (39m)
Aparajitha Balamurukan 3-2 Victoria Temple-Murray 7/11, 6/11, 11/8, 12/10, 11/4 (44m)
Saumya Karki v Katie Smith    not played

MALAYSIAa 1-2 HONG KONG
Yan Xin Tan 3-1 Ka-Yi Lee     11/5, 3/11, 11/6, 11/9 (33m)
Vanessa Raj 0-3 Uen-Shan Choi 8/11, 11/13, 9/11 (27m)
Sue Ann Yong 1-3 Tze-Lok Ho 5/11, 3/11, 12/10, 4/11 (34m)

USA 2-1 NEW ZEALAND
Amanda Sobhy 3-0 Megan Craig   11/6, 11/2, 11/7 (20m)
Sabrina Sobhy 1-3 Danielle Fourie 11/6, 11/13, 7/11, 12/14 (36m)
Olivia Blatchford 3-0 Rebecca Barnet  11/3, 11/7, 11/8 (22m)

EGYPT 3-0 WALES
Nour El Tayeb 3-0 Tesni Evans   11/3, 11/3, 11/8 (24m)
Kanzy El Dafrawy 3-0 Fiona Murphy  11/2, 11/4, 11/3 (17m)
Nouran El Torky 2-1 Hannah Davies 8/11, 11/7, 11/6 (15m)

9/16 Quarters:
France 3-0 Netherlands, Germany 3-0 Ecuador
Australia 2-0 South Africa, Canada 3-0 Guyana

Full Team Draws | Team Results Listing | Photo Galleries

India overtake England

India took the lead in the opening quarter-final as Asian Junior Champion Anaka Alankamony beat European Junior Champion Emily Whitlock. The Indian seemed to have the answer to everything Whitlock could throw at her, and essentially outplayed her for two and a half games to lead 6/2 in the third. Whitlock then got a measure of control for the first time with a run of four points to level, and with the Indian showing signs of nerves a game was pulled back.

Anaka’s assured play was back in the fourth though, again she looked in command as she went 9/4 ahead. Again Emily fought back, to 9/8. A boast into the tin after a long rally brought up match ball. One was saved with a drop, but then with the court at her mercy and her opponent stranded at the back Emily tinned her volley and India had the lead.

It looked as though Victoria Temple-Murray would pull one back for England when she established a two-game lead, but  Aparajitha Balamurukan fought back superbly, saving a solitary match-ball at 9-10 in the fourth before racing away with the fifth to delight the Indian bench and supporters.

“England has always been a powerhouse in squash, this victory is very sweet.

“Anaka was extraordinary today, this is a  warning sign to the rest of the world.

“Aparijitha showed great fighting spirit to claw back from two games down.”

Cyrus Poncha

Hong Kong win all-Asian match

The second quarter-final was every bit as thrilling as the first, even it it took a little longer to warm up.  Yan Xin Tan beat Ka-Yi Lee  in four to put Malaysia ahead, then  Uen-Shan Choi levelled it with a 3-0 win overVanessa Raj.

When Tze-Lok Ho was two games and 9/4 up against Sue Ann Yong it looked all over for Malaysia, the fifth seeds compared to Hong Kong’s seventh, but, with her team-mates urging her one with “come on, you can do it,” Sue Ann clawed her way back into the match, saved two match balls and levelled at 10-all.

Then came probably the longest rally of the entire tournament, both players playing it safe, both benches on the edge of their seats. Eventually Sue Ann pulled a game back, but it was to be a short-lived reprieve as Ho regained control in the fourth and had her team-mates jumping for joy as she clinched an upset win and a place in the semi-finals.

“We had a team meeting last night and the two younger players, who had lost to their number two and three, really wanted to play to have a chance of revenge.

We knew that it would be tough at number one, so we rested our number one to give the youngsters a chance and they played so well.

“I’m really proud of them, it’s amazing that such a young team [17, 14 and 15] should get to the semi-finals, and with the two youngsters winning the crunch matches itt’s great for the future too.

“They’ve all done really well, I’ve told them to just go out and enjoy tomorrow’s match and do their best …”

Dick Leung

Kiwis make USA work for it

Three quarter-finals, three deciders – not everyone thought it was going to go like this, but then no-one told the Kiwis, apparently.

Amanda Sobhy made fairly short work of  Megan Craig in the top string, and younger sister Sabrina (‘Beans’) looked like making it a Sobht double when she took the first game against Danielle Fourie.

But the New Zealand number three had other ideas, and proceeded to take the next three games, all close, to set up what could have been a nervy finish for the hosts.

Could have been, except that Olvia Blatchford immediately took the initiative against Rebecca Barnet, and although the Kiwi was getting closer as the match progressed, she never got close enough to rekindle the anxiety level of the American camp.

“Amanda was impressive, but then their number three played very well. Beans is learning, and a couple of those games could have gone either way, the New Zealand girl just played the crucial points at the end better.

“We never had any concerns that Olivia could do it, and she went about her job the way it was needed, a good performance.”

Natalie Grainger

Welsh enjoy their day

Having got themselves out of a pool containing the second seeds plus the three-time winners, Wales’ next task was to take on the mighty Egyptians.  It’s unlikely that they harboured any more ambitions than to enjoy themselves and do themselves justice, and they certainly did that, even though Tesni Evans and Fiona Murphy both went down in straight games. The players and the crowd thoroughly enjoyed themselves, especially when Hannah Davies took the first game against Nouran El Torky in the best of three dead rubber.

For both it’s now back to the serious business – for Egypt that means trying to keep hold of their title, for Wales a push for fifth … it should be fun.