The 2023 ProAir British Junior Championships (BJC) semi-finals took place in Sheffield today as Britain’s brightest rising stars fought to earn a place in the finals.
There was a big upset in the Girls’ U19 semi-finals as 14-year-old [5/8] Mariam Eissa (Warks), a two-time BJC champion, defeated second seed Ellie Breach (Wales) 11-7, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8 to reach the final.
Girls’ U19 top seed and three-time BJC champion Amelie Haworth (Hants) won her semi-final against 3/4 seed Robyn McAlpine (Scotland) in straight games, 11-4, 13-11, 11-2.
Boy’s U19 top seed and two-time BJC champion Jonah Bryant (Sussex) earned another impressive win, beating 5/8 seed Bailey Malik (Sussex) in comfortable fashion, 11-2, 11-2, 11-6.
2021 Boys’ U17 winner and 3/4 seed Abd-Allah Eissa (Warks) joins Bryant in the final after his 3-0 victory over 5/8 seed Alex Broadbridge (Hants).
Boys’ U17 top seed Dylan Roberts (Kent) moved another step closer to capturing his maiden BJC title after he defeated 3/4 seed Ismail Khalil (Warks) in four games. He will face second seed seed and 2021 Boys’ U15 champion Archie Turnbull (Wales) after his 3-0 win over 5/8 Harry Bloomfield (Glos).
A new BJC champion will be named in the Girls’ U17 competition as [3/4] Millie Breach (Wales) upset second seed Elizabeth Dicker (Hants) in straight games. Breach will face top seed Emily Coulter-Porter (Oxon) after the 15-year-old beat 3/4 seed Louisa Kaven (Scotland) 3-0.
Boys’ U15 top seed Luke McBride (Surrey) dispatched 5/8 seed Ali Khalil [Warks] in four games as No.2 seed Gabriel Chak (Surrey) saw off [9/12] Murdo Mackenzie (Scotland) in straight games after a tie-break in the first.
Girls’ U15 top seed and two-time BJC champion Reka Kemecsei (Sussex) gave up just six points in her entire semi-final against [5/8] Fearne Copley (Yorks) as she progressed to her final in straight games.
Despite some difficulties in the first game, second seed and 2019 U13 winner Harriet Broadbridge (Hants) went on to defeat her opponent [5/8] Nia Serena Thomas (Wales), in three games to face Kemecsei in the final.
The Boys’ U13 top seeds Thomas Myers (Scotland) and Joe Thompson (Yorks) will face each other in the final after comfortably beating their respective 5/8 seeded opponents Oscar Brown (Leics) and Joshua Fillmore (Cambs).
Girls’ U13 top seed Phoebe Griffiths (Hants) advanced to the final after beating [3/4] Madalena Sidole (Wales) 11-4, 11-3, 11-4. Griffiths will be joined in the final by second seed Esther Chak (Surrey) who beat [3/4] Bella Gokani (Leics) in straight games.
There were no upsets in the Boys’ U11 category, as top seed Ben Lamond (Dorset) and No.2 seed Logan Willstrop (Yorks) progressed to the final after defeating 3/4 seeds Noah Selby (Essex) and Jacob Askey (Warks) respectively, with both matches reaching five games.
Girls’ U11 top seed Siona Misra (Warks) earned a spot in the final after her 3-1 win over [3/4] Elsie Griffiths (Wales). In the other semi-final, [3/4] Ada Brown (Norfolk) pulled off an upset against second seed Freya Hennings (Surrey), winning 12-10, 9-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4.
The U9 semi-finals both went according to seeding as top seed Naishe Matamisa (Warks) came back from two games behind to beat [3/4] Alfie Knox (Ire). Meawhile, [3/4] Mitaire Onoge (Lancs) defeated [5/8] Henry Frost (Sussex) in four games.
The 2023 finals get underway at 9am tomorrow. Watch the finals live from the all-glass court at Abbeydale on the official British Junior Championships website or on England Squash’s YouTube channel.
For draws, event and streaming information, click here.
ProAir British Junior Championships semi-final results
BU19 Semis
[1] Jonah Bryant (Sussex) 3-0 [5/8] Bailey Malik (Sussex) 11-2, 11-2, 11-6
[3/4] Abd-Allah Eissa (Warks) 3-0 [5/8] Alex Broadbridge (Hants) 11-8, 11-1, 11-5
GU19 semis
[1] Amelie Haworth (Hants) 3-0 [3/4] Robyn McAlpine (SCO) 11-4, 13-11, 11-2
[5/8] Mariam Eissa (Warks) 3-1 [2] Ellie Breach (WAL) 11-7, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8
BU17 Semis
[1] Dylan Roberts (Kent) 3-1 [3/4] Ismail Khalil (Warks) 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8
[2] Archie Turnbull (WAL) 3-0 [5/8] Harry Bloomfield (Glos) 11-4, 11-5, 11-8
GU17 Semis
[1] Emily Coulcher-Porter (Oxon) 3-0 [3/4] Louisa Kaven (SCO) 11-7, 11-7, 11-9
[3/4] Millie Breach (WAL) 3-0 [2] Elizabeth Dicker (Hants) 11-6, 13-11, 11-9
BU15 Semis
[1] Luke McBride (Surrey) 3-1 [5/8] Ali Khalil (Warks) 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8
[2] Gabriel Chak (Surrey) 3-0 [9/12] Murdo Mackenzie (SCO) 12-10, 11-3, 11-8
GU15 Semis
[1] Reka Kemecsei (Sussex) 3-0 [5/8] Fearne Copley (Yorks) 11-1, 11-2, 11-3
[2] Harriet Broadbridge (Hants) 3-0 [5/8] Nia Seren Thomas (WAL) 12-10, 11-7, 11-5
BU13 Semis
[1] Thomas Myers (SCO) 3-0 [5/8] Oscar Brown (Leics) 11-8, 11-4, 11-2
[2] Joe Thompson (Yorks) 3-1 [5/8] Joshua Fillmore (Cambs) 11-4, 11-4, 9-11, 11-5
GU13 Semis
[1] Phoebe Griffiths (Hants) 3-0 [3/4] Madalena Sidole (WAL) 11-4, 11-3, 11-4
[2] Esther Chak (Surrey) 3-0 [3/4] Bella Gokani (Leics) 11-4, 11-5, 11-1
BU11 Semis
[1] Ben Lamond (Dorset) 3-2 [3/4] Noah Selby (Essex) 13-15, 11-8, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5
[2] Logan Willstrop (Yorks) 3-2 [3/4] Jacob Askey (Warks) 11-13, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-5
G11 Semis
[1] Siona Misra (Warks) 3-1 [3/4] Elsie Griffiths (WAL) 11-8, 11-7, 7-11, 11-3
[3/4] Ada Brown (Norfolk) 3-1 [2] Freya Hennings (Surrey) 12-10, 9-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4
U9 Semis
[1] Naishe Matamisa (Warks) 3-2 [3/4] Alfie Knox (Ire) 7-11, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-9
[3/4] Mitaire Onoge (Lancs) 3-1 [5/8] Henry Frost (Sussex) 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9
