England Celebrate Historic European Junior Championship Success

England became the first country for more than a decade to boast all four women's semi-finalists in the European Junior U19 Championship after Gloucestershire's 17-year-old Julianne Courtice and Derbyshire's Millie Tomlinson, aged just 16, upset the event's 3/4 seeds in the quarter-finals of the flagship event on the European Squash Federation Junior Circuit in Germering, Germany.

There was further unexpected English success in the men's event when Anthony Graham, a 5/8 seed - also from Gloucestershire - despatched Finnish favourite Henrik Mustonen to claim a surprise place in the semi-finals.

Julianne Courtice, expected only to reach the last sixteen, made her breakthrough in the third round when she ousted Welsh opponent Natalie Pritchard, a 5/8 seed, 8-11, 11-7, 3-11, 11-9, 11-8. Buoyed by her success, the British U17 champion then dismissed Dutch opponent Milou van der Heijden, a 3/4 seed, 14-12, 11-13, 11-4, 11-7 in the quarter-finals.

Millie Tomlinson, a 5/8 seed from Duffield, overcame France's 3/4 seed Emilie Lamilango 11-4, 11-8, 11-5 to earn her shock semi-final berth.

Tomlinson, the reigning Irish Junior U19 Open champion, will face compatriot Kimberley Hay, the No2 seed from Newcastle-upon-Tyne who beat Tesni Evans, of Wales, 11-8, 11-3, 11-5 - while Courtice will take on Sarah-Jane Perry, the top seed from Kenilworth in Warwickshire, who needed four games to overcome France's Melissa Alves 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-3.

In the men's event, Anthony Graham's unexpected 7-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-7 win over top seed Henrik Mustonen could have taken the 18-year-old into an all-English semi-final against Chris Fuller. But the 3/4 seed from Kettering was stopped in the quarter-finals by local hero Raphael Kandra. The 9/16 seed beat Fuller 11-6, 11-2, 8-11, 11-6 - after battling to a five-game upset in the third round over Antoine-Camille Petrucci, a 5/8 seed from France.

But there were further upsets in the lower half of the draw where 5/8 seed Lucas Serme, younger brother of three-time European Junior champion Camille Serme, stunned second seed Sam van Brusselen, from Belgium, 6-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 14-12. The 17-year-old Frenchman will take on England's Alex Ingham, after the 3/4 seed beat Germany's Rudi Rohrmuller 11-8, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7.

England coach David Campion was understandably overjoyed with his squad's performances: "I am absolutely delighted that we have been so dominant at this year's event - particularly as Kim, Millie and Julianne are all eligible to play again next year.

"This will give them all a real boost for the World Junior Women's Championships in July.

"It is also fantastic that we are represented in both semi-finals of the men's event," added Campion.

Men's quarter-finals:
[5/8] Anthony Graham (ENG) bt [1] Henrik Mustonen (FIN) 7-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-7
[9/16] Raphael Kandra (GER) bt [3/4] Chris Fuller (ENG) 11-6, 11-2, 8-11, 11-6
[3/4] Alex Ingham (ENG) bt [5/8] Rudi Rohrmuller (GER) 11-8, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7
[5/8] Lucas Serme (FRA) bt [2] Sam van Brusselen (BEL) 6-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 14-12

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [9/16] Melissa Alves (FRA) 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-3
[9/16] Julianne Courtice (ENG) bt [3/4] Milou van der Heijden (NED) 14-12, 11-13, 11-4, 11-7
[5/8] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) bt [3/4] Emilie Lamilango (FRA) 11-4, 11-8, 11-5
[2] Kimberley Hay (ENG) bt [9/16] Tesni Evans (WAL) 11-8, 11-3, 11-5