Egyptians Surge Into Last Sixteen In Hong Kong

While 3/4 seed Annie Au leads a sole local challenge into the last sixteen of the Hoe Hin White Flower Ointment Women's World Junior Championships, four Egyptians survived today's third round of the biennial World Squash Federation event in Hong Kong.

Annie Au, the 18-year-old Asian Junior Champion from Hong Kong, beat South Korea's Sun-Mi Song 9-2, 9-3, 9-6 and will now face Japan's 17/32 seed Misaki Kobayashi for a place in the quarter-finals.

Egypt's top seed Raneem El Weleily successfully began her defence of the title with two wins today, the second of which saw her beat Hong Kong's 17/32 seed Tsz Ling Liu 9-0, 9-0, 9-6 in 17 minutes.

The 18-year-old from Alexandria - who is expected to become only the second girl in history to win the world junior crown twice - now faces unseeded Malaysian Nessrine Ariffin.

El Weleily will be joined by three Egyptian team-mates in the last sixteen - 9/16 seeds Nour Bahgat and Alia Balbaa, together with 5/8 seed Heba El Torky.

England's Kimberley Hay became the second unseeded player to reach the last sixteen when she beat France's Faustine Gilles 9-5, 8-10, 9-3, 9-0. The 15-year-old from Newcastle-upon-Tyne will be joined by compatriots Victoria Lust and Sarah-Jane Perry after a good day for England on the second day of the championships.

3rd round:
[1] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt [17/32] Tsz Ling Liu (HKG) 9-0, 9-0, 9-6 (17m)
Nessrine Ariffin (MAS) bt [9/16] Melody Francis (AUS) 10-8, 5-9, 4-9, 9-5, 9-3 (41m)
[9/16] Nour Bahgat (EGY) bt [17/32] Victoria Bell (ENG) 9-2, 9-3, 9-0 (39m)
[5/8] Low Wee Wern (MAS) bt [17/32] Nouran El Torky (EGY) 9-4, 9-0, 9-6 (36m)
[5/8] Heba El Torky (EGY) bt Lisa Marie Sedlmeier (GER) 9-7, 9-5, 9-1 (28m)
Kimberley Hay (ENG) bt Faustine Gilles (FRA) 9-5, 8-10, 9-3, 9-0 (29m)
[9/16] Laura Gemmell (CAN) bt Tong Tsz Wing (HKG) 9-4, 8-10, 3-9, 9-4, 9-0 (80m)
[3/4] Joelle King (NZL) bt [17/32] Milnay Louw (RSA) 9-2, 9-2, 9-1 (20m)
[3/4] Annie Au (HKG) bt [17/32] Sun-Mi Song (KOR) 9-2, 9-3, 9-6 (32m)
[17/32] Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) bt [9/16] Dipika Pallikal (IND) 3-9, 9-7, 9-4, 3-9, 9-7 (46m)
[9/16] Alia Balbaa (EGY) bt [17/32] Astrid Kern (GER) 9-1, 9-7, 5-9, 9-7 (48m)
[5/8] Victoria Lust (ENG) bt [17/32] Low Wee Nee (MAS) 7-9, 9-1, 9-1, 9-3 (26m)
[5/8] Sina Wall (GER) bt Alana Sincock (NZL) 9-1, 9-4, 9-6 (18m)
[17/32] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [9/16] Shin Nga Leung (HKG) 9-3, 6-9, 10-8, 9-10, 9-6 (68m)
[9/16] Kerry Wickett (NZL) bt [17/32] Melissa Meulenbelt (NED) 9-4, 9-5, 9-0 (25m)
[2] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Maggy Marshall (AUS) 9-1, 9-4, 9-1 (21m)