Squash
World Junior Squash C'Ship: Shaurya Bawa advances into semifinals
Shaurya Bawa becomes the first Indian in ten years to enter the semi-final of the Junior Squash World C'ships.
Shaurya Bawa in action at the World Junior Squash Championship in Houston, Texas. (Photo Credit:- World Squash)
India’s Shaurya Bawa became the first Indian to qualify for the semi-finals in a decade while young star Anahat Singh bowed out in the quarterfinals of the ongoing World Junior Squash Championships, held in Texas, on Monday.
Bawa showed impressive determination and composure in his quarter-final win over Malaysian Low Wa-sern, fighting back from three match balls down to become the first Indian to reach the last four since Kush Kumar in 2014.
In what turned out to be the longest match of the day, lasting for a total of 79 minutes, Bawa demonstrated remarkable resolve and composure and won the game 3-2 (2-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-8, 12-10)
The Indian fell to the ground after securing the match point, evidently overwhelmed by the magnitude of his accomplishment.
Bawa will face Egyptian No.1 seed Mohamad Zakaria in the semifinals of the Junior World C'ships.
Anahat exits in the quarters
Remarkably, Bawa was not the sole competitor to orchestrate a thrilling resurgence from a deficit of three match points, as Egyptian Nadien Elhammamy accomplished the same feat against Indian Anahat Singh in the women’s quarter-final draw.
Elhammamy, who recently celebrated her seventeenth birthday five days prior, commenced the match auspiciously against the sixteen-year-old, establishing a formidable 2-0 lead by effectively defending against Anahat’s attacking strategy.
However, the Indian competitor fought back in the third game, narrowing the deficit with an 11-5 victory and subsequently prevailing in a closely contested 12-10 triumph in the fourth game.
Anahat appeared to have completed the comeback when she gained a 10-8 advantage in the fifth game, only for Elhammamy to respond spectacularly and force a tiebreaker.
Singh earned another opportunity to secure the match at 11-10, but once again, the Egyptian denied her, with Elhammamy prevailing decisively to clinch the game 13-11 and the match 3-2.
Elhammamy will now face fellow Egyptian and defending champion Amina Orfi in the semi-finals.
