Chinappa Seeded To Become India's First World Squash Champion

Joshna Chinappa is set to make history next month in Belgium where she could become India's first ever world squash champion. The 18-year-old from Chennai, the sole Indian in the field of more than 100 players, has been named as top seed in the Women's World Junior Championship, which take place in Herentals from 21-26 July.

Asian Junior Champion in both 2003 and 2005, Chinappa first competed in the World (Under-19) Championships in Malaysia in 2001, when she reached the third round. Two years later, in Egypt, the reigning British Junior Open champion made it through to the last eight.

Chinappa is expected to face local heroine Charlie de Rycke, the third seed and European Junior Champion from Ghent, in the semi-finals - before coming up against Egypt's No2 seed Raneem El Weleily in the final.

The other semi-final, as predicted by the seedings, would feature El Weleily and South Africa's Tenille Swartz, a seventeen-year-old from Parys who made her senior international debut in the Women's World Team Championships in the Netherlands last October.

The full first round draw is:

[1] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bye
Roisin Brennan (IRL) v Jackie Moss (CAN)
[17/32] Kirsten Lange (USA) bye
Skye Millar (AUS) v Milou van der Heijden (NED)
[9/16] Rachel Willmott (ENG) bye
Julie de Bellefroid (BEL) v Ikuko Tao (JPN)
[17/32] Pamela Hathway (GER) v Joanna Morgan (SCO)
Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS) v Emily Paton (CAN)
[5/8] Lina El Tannir (EGY) bye
Toby Eyre (USA) v Gemma Davies (WAL)
[17/32] Sary Carmen Diaz (MEX) v Milnay Louw (RSA)
Emma Chorley (ENG) v Jasmin Ballmann (SUI)
[9/16] Peta Hughes (AUS) bye
Esther Jongerden (NED) v Shin Nga Leung (HKG)
[17/32] Kerry Wickett (NZL) v Zulhijjah Azan (MAS)
Marjory Fosse (FRA) v Tiia Knuutila (FIN)
[3] Charlie de Rycke (BEL) bye
Nabilla Ariffin (MAS) v Alexandra Clark (SCO)
[17/32] Joey Chan (HKG) v Kaitlin Sennatt (USA)
Aisling O'Connor (IRL) v Eve Rixen (GER)
[9/16] Neha Kumar (CAN) bye
Heba Ahmed (EGY) v Jackie Laurenson (NZL)
[17/32] Fiona Moverley (ENG) v Seraina Kazamia (SUI)
Kimberley Bessell (AUS) v Vuokko Vahatalo (FIN)
[5/8] Sara Badr (EGY) bye
Natalie Pritchard (WAL) v Yuki Sakai (JPN)
[17/32] Lisa Kho (NED) v Lotte Eriksen (NOR)
Amanda Siebert (USA) v Nikki Sequeira (CAN)
[9/16] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bye
Kathryn Blake (RSA) v Leonie Holt (ENG)
[17/32] Soraya Renai (FRA) v Moa Shi Hui (SIN)
Imelda Salazar (MEX) v Sarah Matthews (MAS)
Suzannah King (ENG) v Jennifer Gemmell (CAN)
[17/32] Joelle King (NZL) v Nicole Chua (SIN)
Emi Takemoto (JPN) v Emery Maine (USA)
[9/16] Nehal Yehia (EGY) bye
Odile Wavreille (BEL) v Victoria Lust (ENG)
[17/32] Wee Wern Low (MAS) v Nathalie Plain (SUI)
Carmen Nujen (NED) v Elizabeth Mercado (MEX)
[5/8] Annie Au (HKG) bye
Vanessa Pickerd (AUS) v Rachel Green (WAL)
[17/32] Ashley Clackson (CAN) v Kirsty Craig (SCO)
Britt Hebden (USA) v Toke Vanwesemael (BEL)
[9/16] Camille Serme (FRA) bye
Midori Saji (JPN) v Louise Clark (ENG)
[17/32] Sandra Krueger (GER) v Niamh Brennan (IRL)
Jessica Gillett (AUS) v Saara Valtola (FIN)
[4] Tenille Swartz (RSA) bye
Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) v Liesbeth Voortmans (BEL)
[17/32] Vanessa Isola (SUI) v Logan Greer (USA)
Pamela Chua (SIN) v Maren Myhre (NOR)
[9/16] Sally Looi (MAS) bye
Mary-Ann Boden (RSA) v Victoria Bell (ENG)
[17/32] Lucie Fialova (CZE) v Alia Magdy Balbaa (EGY)
Laura Gemmell (CAN) v Sina Wall (GER)
[5/8] Lily Lorentzen (USA) bye
Ciara Moloney (IRL) v Erica Olmstead (CAN)
[17/32] Deon Saffery (ENG) v Laura Aalto-Setala (FIN)
Amanda Cranston (NZL) v Lisa Aitken (SCO)
[9/16] Ka Kei Chiu (HKG) bye
Jessica Bevan (WAL) v Maxine Windelberg (MRI)
[17/32] Stephanie Edmison (CAN) bye
Jackeline Perez (MEX) v Luchisise de Lavison (FRA)
[2] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bye