Egypt Celebrate Six British Junior Open Titles In Sheffield

Whilst there was English disappointment in the Powerplaysports British Junior Open in Sheffield today when surprise finalist Joe Lee was unable to clinch success in the Men's U17 event, there was jubilation in the Egyptian camp when world junior champion Ramy Ashour stormed to victory in the closing Men's U19 final to give Egypt six of the eight titles available in the sport's most prestigious junior championships.

English hopes of British Junior Open success for the first time in four years were dashed by Egyptian Mohamed Ali Anwar Reda. The second seed in the Men's U17 event beat Surrey's 5/8 seed Joe Lee - the British U17 champion and lowest-seeded player in any of the finals - 9-5 9-4 9-3 in 41 minutes. The win marked Reda's second British Junior Open title after winning the U13 trophy in 2002.

Ramy Ashour (pictured) was in sensational form as he brushed aside Pakistan's No2 seed Aamir Atlas Khan 9-0 9-6 9-0 in the 29-minute men's U19 final to boost his chances of a second world junior title in the 2006 championships in New Zealand in July. It was the 18-year-old from Cairo's fourth British Open title since 1999.

Perhaps the biggest shock of the day came in the women's U19 final in which Egypt's Raneem Weleily - the highest world-ranked player in the whole competition - was bidding to extend her unbeaten record in the event throughout this millennium after collecting successive U13, U15 and U17 titles (both twice) since last losing in the U13 final in December 1999!

The 17-year-old U19 favourite, ranked 36 in the WISPA world list, faced a determined second-seeded compatriot Lina El Tannir. The 18-year-old, who had never before progressed as far as the quarter-finals, dropped the first game but edged to victory in the second before storming away to claim a stunning 2-9 10-9 9-7 9-6 triumph in 39 minutes.

The only European success at Abbeydale Park in Sheffield was provided by France's Camille Serme, the favourite in the women's U17 championship who dismissed Malaysia's 3/4 seed Wee Wern Low 9-4 9-6 9-6 to earn her first British Junior Open crown.

Egypt secured both titles in the U15 championships: In the men's final, Egypt's top seed Mohamed El Shorbagy clinched his first British Open title by beating compatriot Adel Mohamed El Zarka, a 3/4 seed, 8-10 9-5 3-9 9-6 9-4.

The women's final saw favourite Heba El Torky extend her unbeaten record in the event to three years as she beat Canada's 3/4 seed Laura Gemmell 9-4 9-2 9-0. Since losing the U13 final in January 2003, El Torky won the U13 title in 2004 and her first U15 crown last year. The win brought disappointment, however, to the Canadian who was in her fourth successive junior U15 final after winning the U15 US Open, Canadian Open and Scottish Open titles over the past month.

Having removed the top two seeds in the semi-finals, the two 3/4 seeds fought it out for the Men's U13 title. Egypt's Karim Fathy ultimately prevailed, beating Pakistan's Hamza Bokhari 9-3 9-2 9-4 in 29 minutes.

In the women's U13 final, Malaysia's Yan Xin Tan avenged her defeat in last year's quarter-finals by upsetting Egypt's top seed and defending champion Nour El Tayeb 5-9 9-7 9-1 9-2 in 41 minutes. The 3/4 seed had earlier upset another Egyptian, second seed Menat Allah Naser, 10-9 9-2 10-8 - while in the other semi-final El Tayeb had fought back from 2/0 down to beat USA's Olivia Blatchford 9-2 2-9 7-9 9-5 9-3.

Men's U19 final:
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt [2] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) 9-0, 9-6, 9-0 (29m)

Women's U19 final:
[2] Lina El Tannir (EGY) bt [1] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) 2-9, 10-9, 9-7, 9-6 (39m)

Men's U17 final:
[2] Mohamed Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) bt [5/8] Joe Lee (ENG) 9-5, 9-4, 9-3 (41m)

Women's U17 final:
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [3/4] Wee Wern Low (MAS) 9-4, 9-6, 9-6 (27m)

Men's U15 final:
[1] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt [3/4] Adel Mohamed El Zarka (EGY) 8-10, 9-5, 3-9, 9-6, 9-4 (51m)

Women's U15 final:
[1] Heba El Torky (EGY) bt [3/4] Laura Gemmell (CAN) 9-5, 9-2, 9-0 (22m)

Men's U13 final:
[3/4] Karim Fathy (EGY) bt [3/4] Hamza Bokhari (PAK) 9-3, 9-2, 9-4 (29m)

Women's U13 final:
[3/4] Yan Xin Tan (MAS) bt [1] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 5-9, 9-7, 9-1, 9-2 (41m)