Around 150 players competed in the Karakal Welsh Junior Open Squash Championships in Cardiff.
They travelled from England, Scotland and Wales, while there was a major contingent of Welsh competitors.
Alice Green and Jared Carter won the two under-12 titles during a tournament held over two venues – Sport Wales National Centre and Cardiff Squash Club.
The Wales Junior Open is a European Grand Prix event which attracts top quality players at all age levels between under-11 and under-19.
Ali Khalil, from RyderSquash at the Solihull Arden Club, won the Welsh Open boys under-11 title, beating Dylan Vite in the final.
The Khalil family have three members developing at the RyderSquash organisation. Ali is the youngest, Smiley is the middle brother and Hassan oldest of three talented players.
— Lisa Thomas (@Lth79Thomas) September 8, 2019
Hassan played number one for for England in the under-15 European team championships and was also a winner in Wales.
He defeated Simon Osborne-Wylde 11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 11-1 in the final.
Dylan Roberts, a 12-year-old from Bexley in Kent, won the boys under-12 Welsh Open title.
His declared aim is to become England number one and says his favourite players are Egypt’s Mohamed ElsHorbagy and Kiwi Paul Coll.
“Elshorbagy is just an amazing player and I love watching him play,” said Roberts. “Coll is a hero because he has fantastic movement and I love his Superman dives.
“I love squash because it is a fun sport.”
He played tennis from the age of three, but switched to squash four years later.
Well done Dylan winning his first European tournament. Squash Wales put together a great event that ran really well. See you next year. Thank you @Ldnsquashcoach @sqwales @HitandRunSport @Kent_SRA @DartfordGS for your help and support. pic.twitter.com/WqxTbERYJT
— Paul Roberts (@Robbo002) September 8, 2019
Dad Paul was a semi-pro footballer who now plays squash, while his sister Madeleine is a Great Britain junior gymnast.
Top seed Roberts won the Welsh under-11 championship by beating Cardiff Squash Club’s Jared Evans 11-6, 5-11, 11-4, 11-8 in the semi-finals and fellow English player Harry Bloomfield in the final.
Izzy Beynon-Cobb, a Welsh player who now lives in Leamington, beat Megan Light 11-8, 14-12, 7-11, 12-10 to take the under-13 girls crown.
Scotland’s Kyle Penman, a 14-year-old from Bridge of Allan Sports Club, won the boys under-15 event, beating Ireland’s Jack O’Flynn 9-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-7 in the final.
Talented young Pontefract player Asia Harris was crowned Wales Open girls under-17 champion. The 14-year-old Ackworth School pupil trains at Woodfield Squash Club, Doncaster.
Asia, who first took up squash at the age of seven at Pontefract SRC, won the under-17 Wales European Championship and was ranked number one in Europe at under-13 level.
She defeated Helen Mcgugan (Ireland) 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 in the final.
Winchester’s Jared Carter, a former England under-15 champion, is the new Welsh Open boys under-19 champion.
Nasz jedyny zawodnik🇵🇱 w Karakal Welsh Junior Open zajmuje 6 miejsce w kat. BU13 😀👏 Gratulujemy Michale! @sqwales we hope Michal enjoyed the tournament and he will be back with some more Polish juniors next year 😀#polskisquash #WelshJuniorOpen pic.twitter.com/I3wX0BX1jp
— Polish Squash (@PolskiSquash) September 8, 2019
Carter, who attends Wycliffe School in Gloucestershire, has won junior titles in England, Switzerland and Holland. He is ranked at 462 in the World.
Alice Green, an 18-year-old who lives in Chelmsford, is the newly-crowned Wales Open girls under-19 champion.
Green won 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 against Solihull’s Rosie Kirsch in the Welsh semi-finals, and lifted the trophy with an 11-9, 11-4, 11-9 victory against Kira Marshall in the final.
Layla Johnson, from Yorkshire, beat Welsh player Ellie Breach 8-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-9 in the Wales Open girls under-15 event final.
Wales Junior Open Squash Championships 2019:
Boys
Under-11:
Semi-finals:
Ali Khalil beat Archie Davies-Clarke 11-6, 11-6, 11-7; Dylan Vite vert Reuben James Davies 11-5, 11-7, 11-3.
Final: Ali Khalil beat Dylan Vite 11-5, 11-5, 11-8
Third/fourth place: Archie Davies-Clarke beat Reuben James Davies 11-6, 13-11, 8-11, 11-3.
Under-13
Semi-finals:
Dylan Roberts (England) beat Jared Evans (Wales) 11-6, 5-11, 11-4, 11-8; Harry Bloomfield (England) beat Archie Turnbull (Wales) 12-10, 10-12, 3-11, 11-6, 11-9.
Final: Dylan Roberts beat Harry Bloomfield 11-6, 11-6, 11-13, 11-7
Third/fourth: Archie Turnbull beat Jared Evans 11-5, 11-7, 11-4
Under-15
Semi-finals:
Kyle Penman beat Joshua Davies 11-8, 11-7, 11-9; Jack O’Flynn (Ireland) beat Louis Murray (England) 9-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-5
Final: Kyle Penman beat Jack O’Flynn 9-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-7
Third/fourth place: Louis Murray (England) beat Joshua Davies (Wales) 12-10, retired
Under-17
Semi-finals: Samuel Osborne-Wylde (England) beat Alex Smith (Ireland) 11-9 11-5, 15-13; Hassan Khalil (England) beat Rhys Evans (Wales) 11-7, 11-6, 11-4.
Final: Hassan Khalil beat Simon Osborne-Wylde 11-6, 11-5, 9-11
Third/fourth: Rhys Evans beat Alex Evans 6-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7
Under-19
Semi-finals:
Jared Carter (England) beat Adam Goad 11-7, 11-5, 11-5; Campbell Wells (Switzerland) beat Noah Meredith (England) 11-4, 11-2, 11-4
Final: Jared Carter beat Campbell Wells 9-11, 11-4, 11-7 12-10
Third/fourth place: Noah Meredith beat Adam Goad 12-10, 3-11, 11-8, 11-7
Girls
Under-11 A section
Round robin:
Nia Seren Thomas beat Eliza Hales 11-2, 11-0, 11-2
Nia Seren Thomas beat Nadiya Ismail 11-1, 11-3, 11-3
Nadiya Ismail beat Eliza Hales 11-6, 10-12, 11-0, 11-1
Under-11 B section:
Round robin:
Ameerah Ismail beat Isla Cargill 11-2, 11-4, 11-1
Ameerah Ismail beat Madelena Sidoli 11-4, 11-0, 11-0
Isla Cargill beat Madelena Sidoli 11-4, 11-4, 11-3
Under-11 A/B final: Amber Ismail beat Nia Seren Thomas 11-1, 11-3, 11-7
Under-11 A/B third/fourth place: Isla Cargill beat Nadiya Ismail 11-6, 11-7, 11-7
Under-11 A/B fifth/sixth place: Madelena Sidoli beat Eliza Hayes 11-5, 11-6, 11-9
Well done @IzzySquash on your Welsh open u13 win. If you can keep up your great attitude and hard work there will be many championships to come💪💪 https://t.co/fkSaps6OrX
— Mark Harris (@harris19681968) September 11, 2019
Under-13
Semi-finals:
Megan Light (England) beat Olivia Owens (England) 7-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5; Isobel Beynon-Cobb (Wales) beat Miriam Mulla 11-3, 11-8, 12-10
Final: Isobel Beynon-Cobb beat Megan Light 11-8, 14-12, 7-11, 12-10
Third/fourth place: Olivia Owens beat Miriam Mulla 7-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-3
Happy to come runner up in the GU15 Welsh Junior Open. Really tough matches. Couldn't quite get there in final. Good start to the season. @sqwales @bro_dur. pic.twitter.com/OzNoekPAgT
— Ellie Breach (@ellie_breach) September 11, 2019
Under-15
Semi-finals:
Layla Johnson (England) beat Anna Halliday (England) 11-5, 11-4, 11-8; Ellie Breach (Wales) beat Florence Kersley (England) 13-11, 11-7, 11-9
Final: Layla Johnson beat Ellie Breach 8-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-9
Third/fourth place: Anna Halliday beat Florence Kersley 11-8, 11-7, 11-1
https://twitter.com/masumajohnson/status/1170686360543473664?s=20
Under-17
Semi-finals:
Asia Harris (England) beat Hannah Mcgugan (Ireland) 11-7, 11-9, 11-4; Olivia Besant (England) beat Sophia John (England) 11-2 11-6 11-8
Final: Asia Harris beat Olivia Besant 11-8 11-3 11-1
Third/fourth place: Sophia John beat Hannah Mcgugan 11-8, 11-8, 11-9
Under-19
Semi-finals: Alice Green (England) beat Rosie Kirsch (England) 11-6, 11-8, 11-8; Kira Marshall (England) beat Amber Copley (England) 11-4, 11-5, 11-3.
Final: Alice Green beat Kira Marshall 11-9, 11-4, 11-9
Third/fourth place: Amber Copley beat Rosie Kirsch 12-10, 11-3, 11-2