Seeds Suffer As World Juniors Quarter Finals Set

Belgian Maddox Moxham led a day of upsets at the World Squash Junior Championships in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada where four of the top eight seeds failed to make the quarter-finals.

It was on the glass court at White Oaks Resort & Spa that Moxham eliminated Malaysia's Nickhileswar Moganasundharam, a 5/8 seed

Despite taking the lead in the opener, winning 14-12, Moxham was unable to replicate the same resilient form against the Malaysian in the second and third games, losing both 11-2 and 11-7.

However, Moxham showed great determination to claw himself back into the contest, winning the fourth 11-4.

And with momentum back on his side of the court, the 18-year-old US-based Belgian was able to reignite his pursuit of the World Junior title, claiming the fifth and final game 11-7.

"It was a long match, and I am happy to pull through," Moxham, son of noted Australian coach Shaun Moxham, said after his match.

"I have never beaten him before, so I am happy to come out with the win. Today was about sticking to my game plan, and I thought that it worked in the first, but I strayed from it in the second, and in the third, I thought that I had a little momentum back, but he was still taking control of the game.

"So, I had to believe that what I had was going to push me through and carry me forward, and that ended up happening. I am looking forward to the next match, but I'm taking it one step at a time."

Moxham will face Egypt's 3/4 seed Seif Refaay, who progressed to the last eight after a straight-game victory over Spain's Oriol Salvia Ripoll.

History was made elsewhere in the men's event when 17-year-old Mohammed Alnasfan - competing in the event for the fourth time - upset England's 5/8 seed Dylan Roberts in a five-game thriller to become the first Saudi Arabian player ever to make the event's quarter-finals.

There were other upsets too - India's 5/8 seed Aryaveer Dewan lost to the USA's Yaseen Shalaby in straight games and Brazil's 5/8 seed Laura Silva fell short against Malaysia's Whitney Wilson.

Also in the women's draw, Egypt's Habiba Rizk beat the USA's Charlotte Sze in a four-game battle, and Belgium's Savannah Moxham came from behind to beat Hong Kong's Ena Kwong 3/1.

Elsewhere, Egypt's Malika Elkaraksy moved into the last eight round with a win over the USA's Diya Yadav; No.1 seed Mohamad Zakaria progressed after a win against Pakistan's Nauman Khan; India's No.1 seed Anahat Singh reached the quarter-finals after winning in three games against Malaysia's Doyce Ye San Lee [13/16]; France's Amir Khaled-Jousselin advanced after a straight-game victory over England's Ronnie Hickling; and Hong Kong's Helen Tang progressed with a victory over Malaysia's Harleein Tan.