Colombian Knudsen Progresses In New Zealand

After producing the only seeding upset on the opening day of action in the WSF World Junior Squash Championships in New Zealand, Colombian outsider Matias Knudsen battled through to the men's last 16 of the World Squash Federation event today at the Devoy Squash & Fitness Centre in the city of Tauranga.

The unranked 17-year-old from Bogota needed 54 minutes to see off Pakistan's world No.482 Abbas Zeb 10-12, 11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 11-9.

"I was two-nil 10-7 down yesterday, and today I was 10-7 up in the third and it was very hard to finish," said Knudsen (pictured above), coached by recently-appointed Colombian national coach Martin Knight, the former world No.38 from New Zealand.

"I'm so excited to be in the last sixteen - this is my third world juniors, I'm getting further each time and I still have one more to go!"

Bidding to become the first Colombian ever to reach the event's quarter-finals, Knudsen now faces No.2 seed Mohammad Al Sarraj. Al Sarraj, from Jordan, defeated USA's Salim Khan 11-7, 11-9, 12-10.

There was a further upset in the men's draw when Egypt's unseeded Aly Hussein, a world championship debutant, despatched Roman Allinckx, a 9/16 seed from Switzerland, 11-6, 11-4, 11-5 in 48 minutes.

The Cairo-born 17-year-old, one of five Egyptians through to the men's last 16, will need to overcome India's 5/8 seed Adhitya Raghavan to secure a place in the quarter-finals.

15-year-old Jana Shiha produced the standout upset in the women's event after ousting 18-year-old Akanksha Salunkhe, a 9/16 seed from India.

The Alexandrian's 11-6, 11-8, 11-4 victory in just 16 minutes takes Shiha through to the last 16 where she will face compatriot Rowan Reda Araby.

Runner-up in 2016, 16-year-old Araby - also from Alexandria - defeated Canadian Nicole Kendall 11-1, 11-2, 11-2.

Top seed Hania El Hammamy brushed aside Hong Kong's Ka Wing Ho (both pictured below) 11-4, 11-3, 11-2 to lead six Egyptians into the fourth round.

Predicted semi-finalist Nada Abbas, however, was taken the full distance before claiming her anticipated place in the last 16. From 2/1 down, the 17-year-old from Giza finally got the better of India's 18-year-old Aishwarya Bhattacharya 11-4, 8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-3.

16-year-old local hope Kaitlyn Watts was unable to pull off the upset she needed to reach the 4th round. The highest-ranked New Zealander in the women's draw, Watts went down 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 to Malaysian Chan Yiwen, a 9/16 seed.

Men's 3rd round:
[1] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Ronald Palomino (COL) 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (26m)
[9/16] Ong Sai Hung (MAS) bt Ahmed Elmashad (EGY) 3-11, 5-11, 13-11, 11-5, 11-4 (46m)
[9/16] Tom Walsh (ENG) bt Nicholas Calvert (AUS) 11-2, 11-5, 11-5 (22m)
[5/8] Andrew Douglas (USA) bt Sanjay Jeeva (BEL) 8-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 (38m)
[5/8] Abhay Singh (IND) bt Harrison Gill (USA) 11-6, 11-3, 14-12 (38m)
[9/16] Mohamed Elshamy (EGY) bt Cole Becker (USA) 11-5, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10 (41m)
[9/16] Adam Corcoran (ENG) bt Finn Trimble (NZL) 11-4, 10-12, 11-5, 11-7 (59m)
[3/4] Marwan Tarek (EGY) bt Yash Fadte (IND) 11-5, 11-4, 11-6 (25m)
[3/4] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt Shahrul Izham Nurhaqiem (MAS) 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 (21m)
[9/16] Darren Rahul Pragasam (MAS) bt Tiber Worth (USA) 11-5, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8 (46m)
Aly Hussein (EGY) bt [9/16] Roman Allinckx (SUI) 11-6, 11-4, 11-5 (48m)
[5/8] Adhitya Raghavan (IND) bt In Woo Lee (KOR) 11-5, 11-6, 4-11, 11-9 (50m)
[5/8] Kyle Finch (ENG) bt Hafiz Zhafri (MAS) 11-6, 11-3, 11-4 (24m)
[9/16] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt Inaki de Larrauri (COL) 11-1, 11-4, 11-7 (24m)
Matias Knudsen (COL) bt Abbas Zeb (PAK) 10-12, 11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 11-9 (54m)
[2] Mohammad Al Sarraj (JOR) bt Salim Khan (USA) 11-7, 11-9, 12-10 (35m)

Women's 3rd round:
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Ka Wing Ho (HKG) 11-4, 11-3, 11-2 (19m)
[9/16] Chan Yiwen (MAS) bt Kaitlyn Watts (NZL) 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 (24m)
[9/16] Zoe Foo Yuk Han (MAS) bt Charlotte Orcutt (CAN) 11-5, 11-2, 11-8 (23m)
[5/8] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt Anika Jackson (NZL) 11-4, 11-2, 11-5 (15m)
[5/8] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt Saskia Beinhard (GER) 11-3, 11-5, 11-4 (18m)
[9/16] Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt Alice Green (ENG) 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (26m)
[9/16] Marina Stefanoni (USA) bt Jasmine Hutton (ENG) 14-12, 11-8, 11-6 (32m)
[3/4] Nada Abbas (EGY) bt Aishwarya Bhattacharya (IND) 11-4, 8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-3
[3/4] Rowan Reda Araby (EGY) bt Nicole Kendall (CAN) 11-1, 11-2, 11-2 (13m)
Jana Shiha (EGY) bt [9/16] Akanksha Salunkhe (IND) 11-6, 11-8, 11-4 (16m)
[9/16] Elise Lazarus (ENG) bt Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) 11-8, 11-5, 11-9 (24m)
[5/8] Andrea Lee (MAS) bt Grace Doyle (USA) 11-5, 11-8, 11-3 (22m)
[5/8] Amina Yousry (EGY) bt Kristýna Fialová (CZE) 11-2, 11-5, 11-5 (20m)
[9/16] Lui Hiu Lam (HKG) bt Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) 11-3, 11-3, 11-7 (19m)
[9/16] Aifa Azman (MAS) bt Sunayna Kuruvilla (IND) 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 (24m)
[2] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Faith Sithole (RSA) 11-6, 11-3, 11-7

Men's 4th round line-up:
[1] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) v [9/16] Ong Sai Hung (MAS)
[5/8] Andrew Douglas (USA) v [9/16] Tom Walsh (ENG)
[5/8] Abhay Singh (IND) v [9/16] Mohamed Elshamy (EGY)
[3/4] Marwan Tarek (EGY) v [9/16] Adam Corcoran (ENG)
[3/4] Victor Crouin (FRA) v [9/16] Darren Rahul Pragasam (MAS)
[5/8] Adhitya Raghavan (IND) v Aly Hussein (EGY)
[5/8] Kyle Finch (ENG) v [9/16] Mostafa Asal (EGY)
[2] Mohammad Al Sarraj (JOR) v Matias Knudsen (COL)

Women's 4th round line-up:
[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) v [9/16] Chan Yiwen (MAS)
[5/8] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) v [9/16] Zoe Foo Yuk Han (MAS)
[5/8] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) v [9/16] Lucy Turmel (ENG)
[3/4] Nada Abbas (EGY) v [9/16] Marina Stefanoni (USA)
[3/4] Rowan Reda Araby (EGY) v Jana Shiha (EGY)
[5/8] Andrea Lee (MAS) v [9/16] Elise Lazarus (ENG)
[5/8] Amina Yousry (EGY) v [9/16] Lui Hiu Lam (HKG)
[2] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) v [9/16] Aifa Azman (MAS)

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