Tough Final Day for Top Seeds at Australian Junior Open

The Australia Junior Open ran from the 12-15^th of January at Darwin Squash Centre and was a tough final day for the top seeds.

New South Wales Eugene Heng landed a second upset in as many days, beating Queensland second seed Jon Van Der Kreek to grab the boys’ U19 title at the Australian Junior Squash Open in Darwin. 

24 hours earlier, Heng overcame tournament top seed, New Zealand’s Scott Galloway, to book his place in the final.

Heng, the tournament fourth seed, took control from the outset against Van Der Kreek, taking just 25 minutes to win 13-11, 11-8, 11-5.

Papua New Guinea’s Lynette Vai has staged a remarkable comeback, which included losing the second game 11-0, to beat New Zealand second seed Kaitlyn Watts in the final of the girls’ U19.

Vai, the top seed, lost the opening two games 11-13, 0-11, but then turned her form around to win the next three games, and the match, 11-9, 11-2, 11-6 in just on 44 minutes.

There was a similar fightback in the bronze medal match, when Singapore’s Wai Yhann Au Yeong came back from 2-0 down to beat South Australia’s Alex Haydon, 9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-5.

It was another fourth seed who won the boys’ U17 title, with NSW’s Jacob Ford beating South Australian second seed, Maas Khatri, in the final, 11-8, 6-11, 11-2, 11-7.

Western Australia’s Kiara Rogers tasted success in the girls’ U17, beating fellow Western Australian Olivia Lindsay 9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5.

One of the few top seeds to prevail at the Australian Juniors was Queensland’s Hayley Hankinson in the girls’ U15.

Hankinson beat unseeded surprise packet and fellow Queenslander, Katie Davies, 4-11, 12-10, 4-11, 11-9, 11-7.

New Zealand’s Leo Fatialofa continued the success of the tournament fourth seeds, beating Western Australian second seed, Gregory Chan, 11-4, 11-9, 11-6 in the final of the boys U15.

WA’s good form in Darwin continued in the U13 boys, with Oscar Curtis beating fellow Western Australian, Dylan Classen, 12-10, 11-3, 11-4 in the final.

Erin Classen picked up another title for the West, beating New Zealand top seed, Natalie Sayes, in the final of the girls’ U13.

Classen, the second seed, beat Sayes 18-16, 11-8, 6-11, 11-9.

Malaysia’s Tushyal Selvakumar, who came into the tournament unseeded, beat Queensland second seed, Zane Wolpers, to claim the boys’ U11 title.

The Malaysian beat Wolpers 16-14, 11-6, 11-7.

New South Wales’ Haylee Besant came from 2-0 down to beat Singapore’s Wai Lynn Au Yeong to claim the girls’ U11 crown in another close final, 6-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-5.

Full results can be viewed here