Top seeds cruise through to 2024 English Junior finals

Following a busy day of action across London, the finalists of the 2024 English Junior Championships were confirmed today as the top seeds powered through to set up an entertaining finals day.

The BU19 final will be contested between top seed Jonah Bryant (Sussex) and [2] Abd-Allah Eissa (Warks) with both recording straight games victories to move into the final. Seven-time champion Bryant produced a clinical performance to see off Essex’s [3/4] Yusuf Sheik, dropping just 11 points throughout to move into another English Junior Championships final.

Meanwhile, Warwickshire’s Eissa was made to work hard to secure his place in the final, edging past Sussex’s [3/4] Bailey Malik. After securing a 1-0 lead, Eissa needed to battle hard to close out the second game in a tiebreak 13-11, with the last game going his way 11-8 to cement his place.

More success followed the Eissa family as GU19 second seed Mariam Eissa (Warks) secured her place in the final, defeating [5/8] Charlie McCrone (Lancs) and [3/4] Meha Shah (Warks).

Eissa’s final opponent will be top seed and four-time champion Amelie Haworth (Hants), who stormed into the final, winning both her quarter-final and semi-final 3-0 in emphatic fashion. Haworth defeated [5/8] Francesca Hall (Yorks) 3-0 in the last eight before turning her attention to the final four clash with [3/4] Olivia Owens (Worcs). Owens struggled to find a way into the match and was overpowered by Haworth who surrendered just seven points on her way to claiming her final spot.

The BU17 final will be contested between 5/8 seed Viggo Hendricks (Glos) and No.2 seed Ronnie Hickling (Surrey). Hendricks scored a win over giant killer Jake Johnston (Surrey) in the quarter-finals, winning in straight games, then produced another 3-0 victory over [3/4] Chester Dockray (Yorks) to reach the final. His opponent will be Hickling, who also recorded two straight games victories.

Top seeds Emily Coulcher-Porter (Bucks) and Elizabeth Dicker (Hants) will go head-to-head for the GU17 title. Coulcher-Porter was ruthless in her quarter-final as she stormed to victory beating [5/8] Miriam Mulla (Lancs) 11-0, 11-6, 11-3. She then overcame Sussex’s [3/4] Reka Kemecsi 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 to earn a final spot.

Her final opponent Elizabeth Dicker was equally ruthless, defeating [5/8] Eve Parkins (Northants) and [3/4] Emma Logan (Suffolk) in straight games to advance.

The U15 category will see top two seeds [1] George Griffiths (Hants) and [2] Gabriel Chak (Surrey) in the boys event whilst the girls event final will be played between top seed Harriet Broadbridge (Hants) and 3/4 seed Renata Colabella (Kent), who scored a win over No.2 seed Ameerah Ismail (Warks) to progress.

There was more to cheer about in the Chak household as top seed Esther Chak (Surrey) also made her way through to a final in the GU13 category. Chak produced two strong performances to set up a final clash with [2] Nadiya Ismail (Warks). On the boys side, the top two seeds also made their way through to the final with [1] Oscar Brown (Leics) and [2] Alexander Koa-Wing (Middx) competing for the title.

In the GU11s, 3/4 seed Ada Brown from Norfolk scored a big win against Surrey’s No.2 seed Freya Hennings, winning a four-game tustle to set up a final clash with Warwickshire’s [1] Siona Mishra - the current British National GU11 champion Meanwhile, BU11 top seed Ben Lamond (Dorset) will meet [2] Logan Willstrop (Yorks) - in a repeat of the high quality 2023 British National BU11 final in which Lamond prevailed.

All top four seeds advanced in the Mixed U9s category as the semi-final line-ups were confirmed. Top seed and current British National U9 champion Naishe Matamisa (Warks), set up a last four encounter with [3/4] Abigail Zeng (Avon) after powering past [5/8] Obi Janum Yahaya (Middx) in three.

2024 English Junior Championships - Finals day line-up
9.30am G11: [1] Siona Mishra v [3/4] Ada Brown
10am B11: [1] Ben Lamond v [2] Logan Willstrop
10.30am G13: [1] Esther Chak v [2] Nadiya Ismail
11am B13: [1] Oscar Brown v [2] Alexander Koa-Wing
11.30am G15: [1] Harriet Broadbridge v [3/4] Renata Colabella
12pm B15: [1] George Griffiths v [2] Gabriel Chak
12.30pm MU9: TBC
1pm G17: [1] Emily Coulcher-Porter v [2] Elizabeth Dicker
1.30pm B17: [2] Ronnie Hickling v [5/8] Viggo Hendricks
2.20pm G19: [1] Amelie Haworth v [2] Mariam Eissa
3pm B19: [1] Jonah Bryant v [2] Abd-Allah Eissa

Watch the finals live from 9:30am on Sunday from Cumberland LTC on the official tournament website and England Squash’s You Tube channel. Follow England Squash on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X for the latest news from the event.