Waller & Lust Achieve Breakthrough Junior National Championships Triumphs

Adrian Waller, from Hertfordshire, and Victoria Lust, from Bedfordshire, upset the seedings to achieve unexpected successes in the U19 events at the British Under 19 & Under 15 National Championships at the National Squash Centre in Manchester.

Waller, a 3/4 seed, made his breakthrough in the men's semi-finals when he defeated Sussex's top seed Tom Pashley 9-3, 9-6, 9-3 in 44 minutes. The 17-year-old from Enfield claimed the Don Sanderson British Under 19 trophy by defeating great rival Joe Lee, the No2 seed from Surrey, 10-9, 4-9, 9-3, 9-1 in 65 minutes.

The success marked Waller's fifth appearance in a British Junior Nationals final - three of which also featured Lee - and completed a remarkable collection of all four junior titles, at U13. U15, U17 and U19.

The Women's Under 19 event saw Rachel Willmott's quest for an eighth British title end in heartbreak. In the day's first semi-final, Warwickshire's 3/4 seed Sarah-Jane Perry proved too strong for the 18-year-old from Horsham in Sussex - who seemed out of sorts and not as confident as usual. However, in the final it was Victoria Lust who prevailed to lift the British title.

The 17-year-old from Maulden, who was also a 3/4 seed, was simply too good for 16-year-old Perry in the final and triumphed 9-6, 9-5, 9-0 in 35 minutes. It was Victoria's third British title, adding to the Under 13 crown she won in 2001 and the Under 17 title she claimed in 2005.

Yorkshire favourite James Earles was in no mood to hang around in the Men's U15 event and quickly despatched Nicholas Hopcroft, the No2 seed from Surrey, 9-1, 9-5, 9-2 in 25 minutes to retain his British title. At the beginning of the event, the category looked to be wide open with a number of potential winners. However the two-times British Champion from Hull came into form at the right time and blew away the opposition to stamp his authority on the age group.

It was Millie Tomlinson from Derbyshire who claimed the first title of the championships when she comprehensively beat Harriet Ingham, from Surrey, 9-2, 9-0, 9-4 in 32 minutes in the Women's U15 final. The 14-year-old looked unstoppable all weekend and has again proved herself to be the best player in her age group by some distance. The Under 15 crown is Millie's second British title, adding to the Under 13 title she won at Bishop's Stortford in 2005, where once again she defeated Harriet Ingham.

Men's U19 Final:
[3/4] Adrian Waller (Herts) bt [2] Joe Lee (Surrey) 10-9, 4-9, 9-3, 9-1 (65m)

Women's U19 Final:
[3/4] Victoria Lust (Beds) bt [3/4] Sarah-Jane Perry (Warwicks) 9-6, 9-5, 9-0 (35m)

Men's U15 Final:
[1] James Earles (Yorks) bt [2] Nicholas Hopcroft (Surrey) 9-1, 9-5, 9-2 (25m)

Women's U15 Final:
[1] Millie Tomlinson (Derbyshire) bt [2] Harriet Ingham (Surrey) 9-2, 9-0, 9-4 (32m)