Emily Whitlock (pic), a 17-year-old from England in her maiden appearance in the Women’s World Junior Championships, stormed into the semi-finals in Boston, USA, after upsetting 18-year-old home hope Olivia Blatchford 11-8, 11-8, 11-7. Whitlock will now face Egypt’s Nour El Tayeb, the 18-year-old who is seeded to reach the final for the 3rd year in a row – but expected to win the title for the 1st time. El Tayeb saw off compatriot Salma Hany 11-8, 11-0, 11-4. The other semi-final will pitch 2010 champion Amanda Sobhy against the 2009 winner Nour El Sherbini. Sobhy, the 18-year-old who last year became the first US squash player to win a world singles title, defeated unseeded 14-year-old Egyptian Mariam Ibrahim Metwally 11-6, 11-3, 11-5. El Sherbini stunned the squash world 2 years ago when she won the title in India aged just 13 – becoming youngest world champion ever. The 3/4 seed beat fellow Egyptian Nouran El Torky 11-8, 11-3, 11-4.
