Squash World Junior Championships: Top seeds make world team quarter-finals in Poland

The top eight seeds will contest the quarter-finals of the WSF Women’s World Junior Team Championship in Poland after predicted results in the final qualifying round of the biennial World Squash Federation event at the Hasta La Vista Club in the historic city of Wroclaw.

Canada made sure of an improvement on their ninth place finish in the previous championship in the USA in 2011 when they beat No.10 seeds France in the final tie in Pool B.

But after Hollie Naughton put the seventh seeds ahead with an 11-7, 11-5, 6-11, 11-7 win over Lea van der Zwalmen, it was a courageous performance by 17-year-old Alyssa Mehta that saw the second string recover from 2-0 down to defeat French opponent Oceane Wadoux 7-11, 4-11, 14-12, 11-5, 11-4 to put the result beyond France’s reach.

Canada finished in second place in the pool, behind second seeds USA, 3-0 winners over Czech Republic.

Egypt, the favourites going for a record fourth title in a row, disappointed the local crowd with a 3-0 win over hosts Poland to top Pool A.

A close trans-Tasman showdown saw eighth seeds New Zealand edge out ninth seeds Australia 2-1 to take second place in the Pool – Kiwis Rebecca Barnett and Abbie Palmer clinching straight games wins after Jessica Turnbull put Australia ahead when she survived a close five-game marathon over 15-year-old Eleanor Epke.

Quarter-final line-up:

[1] EGYPT v [7] CANADA[4] HONG KONG CHINA v [6] INDIA[3] ENGLAND v [5] MALAYSIA[2] USA v [8] NEW ZEALAND

9th – 16th place play-offs:

[9] AUSTRALIA v [13/16] CZECH REPUBLIC[13/16] GERMANY v [11] JAPAN[13/16] SOUTH AFRICA v [12] COLOMBIA[10] FRANCE v [13/16] POLAND