RESULTS: Hoe Hin White Flower Ointment World Junior Women's Squash Championships, Hong Kong
Final:
[1] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt [2] Camille Serme (FRA) 9-2, 9-4, 5-9, 9-3 (41m)
Egypt's Raneem El Weleily successful defended her title in today's (Monday) final of the Hoe Hin White Flower Ointment World Junior Women's Squash Championship in Hong Kong to become only the second woman in history to win the prestigious World Squash Federation title twice.
But the 18-year-old event favourite from Alexandria had the toughest battle of her campaign - and conceded her first game of the tournament - before overcoming France's No2 seed Camille Serme 9-2, 9-4, 5-9, 9-3 in 41 minutes to repeat her maiden title victory in Belgium two years ago.
"I am very, very glad to win this title again - I really hoped I'd be the second one to win it twice," said the new champion, who has followed in the distinguished footsteps of Malaysia's reigning world number Nicol David, who won the title in 1999 and 2001. "But it was the most difficult match of the whole week - the pressure to win this title is unbelievable, nothing I can say but pressure.
"In the third game, I just lost my concentration and I had to fight really hard to get the fourth," explained the teenager who has already climbed to 23 in the WISPA World Rankings.
It was bitter disappointment for Serme, the 18-year-old two-times European Junior Champion from Creteil who had extended the Egyptian to five games in the British Junior Open final in England in January.
The attention now turns to the World Junior Team Championship, in which Egypt have been named as favourites for the third successive time.
Winners of the title for the first time in 2003, Egypt's hopes of a double were dashed by Hong Kong in the 2005 final in Brussels.
"Now we have to move on to the team event," added El Weleily. "We have a good chance, but we have to really fight for it!"