RESULTS: European Junior U15/U17 Team Squash Championship, Tel Aviv, Israel
U17 quarter-finals:
[1] ENGLAND bye
[3] SWITZERLAND bt [5] CZECH REPUBLIC 3-0
Nicolas Mueller bt Petr Martin 9-4, 9-7, 9-5
Jasmin Ballman bt Nicola Polanska 9-2, 9-4, 9-0
David Gloor bt Jan Filounek 10-9, 9-1, 9-0
[4] FRANCE bt [6] ISRAEL 3-0
Gregoire Marche bt Ido Avron 9-3, 9-2, 9-7
Coline Aumard bt Mor Berkovsky 9-3, 9-5, 9-4
Antoine Dauzac bt Nir Zisman 8-10, 9-1, 9-0, 9-5
[2] GERMANY bye
Semi-finals:
[3] SWITZERLAND bt [1] ENGLAND 2-1
Fabian Signer lost to Neil Cordell 0-9, 0-9, 1-9
Nicolas Mueller bt Joe Lee 7-9, 6-9, 9-3, 9-0, 9-7
Jasmin Ballman bt Victoria Bell 10-9, 9-2, 2-9, 4-9, 9-7
[2] GERMANY bt [4] FRANCE 2-1
Florian Silbernagl bt Lucas Vauzelle 7-9, 6-9, 9-4, 9-3, 9-4
Norman Junge lost to Gregoire Marche 4-9, 4-9, 0-9
Sina Wall bt Coline Aumard 7-9, 9-6, 10-8, 9-1
Final:
[2] GERMANY bt [3] SWITZERLAND 2-1
Florian Silbernagl bt Fabian Signer 9-2, 9-2, 9-2
Norman Junge lost to Nicolas Mueller 3-9, 2-9, 7-9
Sina Wall bt Jasmin Ballman 9-6, 9-4, 9-3
3rd place play-off:
[1] ENGLAND bt [4] FRANCE 2-1
Adrian Waller bt Antoine Dauzac 9-1, 9-3, 9-1
Joe Lee lost to Gregoire Marche 6-9, 2-9, 4-9
Victoria Bell bt Gabrielle de Lavison 9-5, 9-4, 9-2
U15 Quarter-finals:
[1] ENGLAND bye
[4] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [5] SWITZERLAND 2-1
Daniel Mekbib bt Dominik Penkov 4-9, 9-5, 9-3, 10-8
Marika Doubravova bt Caroline Bachem 9-2, 10-8, 9-7
Zbyvek Standera lost to Marco Graziotti 0-9, 0-9
[3] FRANCE bt [6] WALES 3-0
Lucas Serme bt Sam Fenwick 9-1, 9-2, 10-9
Cyrielle Peltier bt Tesni Evans 9-5, 6-9, 7-9, 9-2, 9-5
Remy Sorai bt David Haley 9-5, 10-8
[2] GERMANY bye
Semi-finals:
[1] ENGLAND bt [4] CZECH REPUBLIC 3-0
Charles Sharpes bt Zbyvek Standera 9-0, 9-6, 9-4
James Earles bt Daniel Mekbib 9-4, 9-0, 9-0
Millie Tomlinson bt Marika Doubravova 9-2, 9-0
[2] GERMANY bt [3] FRANCE 2-1
Ken Gibson bt Paul Bonabesse 9-3, 9-2, 9-2
Rudi Rohrmueller bt Lucas Serme 9-4, 9-5, 9-3
Nina Schuttkowski lost to Melissa Alves 3-9, 7-9
Final:
[2] GERMANY bt [1] ENGLAND 2-1
Ken Gibson bt Charles Sharpes 9-6, 9-7, 10-8
Rudi Rohrmueller bt James Earles 9-2, 9-2, 9-0
Nina Schuttkowski lost to Kimberley Hay 1-9, 1-9
3rd place play-off:
[3] FRANCE bt [4] CZECH REPUBLIC 3-0
Remy Sorai bt Zbyvek Standera 5-9, 10-8, 3-9, 9-3, 9-3
Lucas Serme bt Daniel Mekbib 9-0, 9-1, 9-1
Cyrielle Peltier bt Marika Doubravova 9-5, 9-1
Germany Wins Historic European Junior Double
A major shift in the balance of power in European junior squash took place in Israel at the weekend when Germany clinched both titles in the European Junior U15/U17 Team Championships at the Towers Squash Club in Tel Aviv.
Germany now boasts all but one of the European Squash Federation junior individual and team titles – while England, for the first time ever, no longer hold a single one of the established titles!
England, holders of the U17 crown since the inaugural event in 1999, were seeded to retain the title for an eighth year – and reached the last four without dropping a single game. But the favourites met their match in the semi-finals against third seeds Switzerland, losing 2/1 to be denied a place in the final for the first time.
The defending champions looked in control as Neil Cordell beat Switzerland's Fabian Signer 9-0, 9-0, 9-1, and British U17 champion Joe Lee built up a two-game lead against Nicolas Mueller. But Mueller, the Swiss Junior Open champion, fought back to win 7-9, 6-9, 9-3, 9-0, 9-7 – and team-mate Jasmin Ballman then battled for five games to defeat England's Victoria Bell 10-9, 9-2, 2-9, 4-9, 9-7 to pull off the shock upset.
After a comfortable 2/1 win over France in the other semi-final, second seeds Germany went ahead in the final when Florian Silbernagl beat Switzerland's Fabian Signer 9-2, 9-2, 9-2. But Nicolas Mueller again showed his prowess to defeat Germany's Norman Junge 9-3, 9-2, 9-7 to level the tie. However, Sina Wall extended her unbeaten run in Tel Aviv to claim a 9-6, 9-4, 9-3 win over Swiss star Jasmin Ballman to clinch victory for Germany.
Title-holders England and second seeds Germany met for the second year running in the U15 final – England beating Czech Republic 3/0 and Germany overcoming France 2/1 in the semi-finals.
Ken Gibson put Germany into the lead with a 9-6, 9-7, 10-8 victory over Charles Sharpes before Rudi Rohrmueller avenged last year's final defeat by by beating James Earles 9-2, 9-2, 9-0. There was small consolation for England in the third rubber when Kimberley Hay beat Nina Schuttkowski 9-1, 9-1.