Day two of the 2025 Squash Travel by Nirvana British Junior Championships saw a major upset in the GU19 draw, with [5/7] Megan Light (Hants) defeating top seed and three-time BJC winner Mariam Eissa (Warwicks) in Sheffield.
Now in its 51st year, this year’s Championships, co-hosted by Hallamshire, Abbeydale and Fulwood, will conclude on Sunday when 12 names will be added to the prestigious list of former winners.
And Light ensured she would be in title contention over the weekend following an impressive 11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9 win over defending champion Eissa. The 18-year-old will be joined by [2] Emily Coulcher-Porter (Bucks), [3/4] Reka Kemecsei (Sussex) and [3/4] Mille Breach in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, [5/8] Oliver Tate (Warwicks) secured the one seeding upset of the BU19 quarter-finals, defeating [3/4] Jude Gibbins (Kent) in straight games. Tate will go up against two-time BJC champion Ronnie Hickling (Surrey) in the semi-finals, while England No.1-ranked Dylan Roberts (Kent) and [3/4] Isamil Khalil (Warwicks) will contest the last-four clash.
In the BU17 draw, the top four seeds all safely progressed to the semi-finals. Top seed Luke McBride (Surrey), who was a member of England’s European U17 title-winning team in Bordeaux in May, came through a tough four-game battle with Murdo Mackenzie [5/8] to set up a semi-final clash with [3/4] Ali Khalil (Warwicks). In the bottom half of the draw, [2] Gabriel Chak (Surrey) and [3/4] Mohamed Abaza (Middx) also claimed respective victories.
All top four seeds dominated the day’s play in GU17 event, with defending champion [1] Harriet Broadbridge (Hants) easing past [5/8] Sophie Townsend (Warwicks) 11-2, 11-2, 11-3, to join last year’s U15 winner, [2] Ameerah Ismail (Warwicks), as well as [3/4] Renata Colabella (Kent) and [3/4] Fearne Copley (Yorks) in the semi-finals.
Saturday in Sheffield will see both the quarter and semi-finals stage of the BU15 take place, with England No.3 Alexander Koa-Wing (Middx) continuing his title charge as top seed with an 11-8, 11-4, 11-4 win over [9/16] Oscar Brown (Leics). Elsewhere, [3/4] Tristan Sutton (Essex) came through a huge five-game duel with [9/16] James Southern, edging the match 11-9, 6-11, 11-5, 6-11, 13-11.
The GU15 event also saw the top eight seeds claim respective wins, with Phoebe Griffiths (Hants) – whose victory sealed England’s girls’ U15 European title in Bordeaux in May – still on for a semi-final showdown with [3/4] Sienna Hampshaw (Yorks), last year’s U13 runner-up, and a potential final against [2] Esther Chak (Surrey).
In the BU13 draw, 2023 U11 winner [1] Ben Lamond (Dorset) and [2] Logan Wilstrop (Yorks) – son of former World No.1 James Willstrop – kickstarted their quests for the title with straight game wins over [9/16] Huey Lamb (Northumbria) and [9/16] Jamie Morrissey (Warwicks), respectively. [9/16] James Bissett (Surrey) scored the one upset of the day as he overcame [5/8] Flynn MacDonald by an 11-8, 3-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8 scoreline.
Meanwhile, in the GU13 event, former U11 champion Siona Mishra (Warwicks) was joined by [3/4] Freya Hennings (Surrey), [5/8] Heidi Hales and [2] Eleanor Everington-Hunt in the semi-finals. Yorkshire’s Everington-Hunt was forced deep into a fifth game before eventually clinching her quarter-final win over [5/8] Fernella Rush (Warwicks).
All four top seeds are into the semi-finals of the GU11 event, including [1] Abigail Zeng (Avon) and [2] Arya Knobbs (Warwicks), while England No.1 Archibald McLeod (Warwicks) delivered to his seeding in the BU11 draw, defeating [5/8] Alfie Knox in three games to continue his title hopes.
The Boys’ and Girls’ U9 categories begin on Saturday.
Watch the remainder of the 2025 Squash Travel by Nirvana British Junior Championships live from the all-glass show court at Abbeydale from 9am on the official tournament website.
You can also follow the action on the official England Squash Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
British Junior Champs 2025: Quarter-Finals
BU19
[5/8] Oliver Tate 3-0 [3/4] Jude Gibbins 11-5, 11-3, 11-3
[3/4] Ismail Khalil 3-1 [5/8] Archie Turnbull 5-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-6
[2] Dylan Roberts 3-0 [5/8] Michael Chak 11-6, 11-5, 11-3
BU17
[1] Luke McBride 3-1 [5/8] Murdo McKenzie 11-4, 11-7, 6-11, 12-10[3/4] Ali Khalil 3-0 [5/8] George Barker 11-9, 13-11, 11-9
[3/4] Mohamed Abaza 3-0 [5/8] Matthew Hong Ki Leung 11-7, 11-8, 11-3
[2] Gabriel Chak 3-1 [5/8] Samuel Cross 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-2
BU15
[1] Alexander Koa-Wing v [5/8] Zeeshan Jamilsat 10.00 [3/4] Kylen Calder v [5/8] Finley Brown
[3/4] Tristan Sutton v [5/8] Kai Miller
[2] Thomas Myers v [5/8] Lucas Askey
BU13
[1] Ben Lamond v [9/16] James Bissettsat 09.30 [3/4] Mashhour Gadalla v [5/8] Noah Selby
[3/4] Jacob Askey v [5/8] Theo Hobman
[2] Logan Willstrop v [5/8] Daniel Stevenson
BU11
[1] Archibald McLeod 3-0 [5/8] Alfie Knox 11-8, 11-6, 12-1016.00 H [5/8] Naishe Matisma 3-0 [3/4] Max Hall 16.14, 11-8, 11-3
[3/4] Mitaire Onoge 3-0 [5/8] Owain Howe 11-6, 11-1, 11-5
[2] Gabriel Cannistraci 3-0 [5/8] Keaton Flander-Derry 11-7, 11-5, 11-2
BU9
[1] Cristian Law v [5/8] Levin von UsslarSat 14.40 [3/4] Bram Willstrop v [5/8] Finn Spencer
[3/4] Oliver Hampshaw v [5/8] Rafferty Rogers
[2] Luke Woodward v [5/8] Oliver Rowe
GU19
[5/8] Megan Light 3-1 [1] Mariam Eissa 11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9[3/4] Millie Breach 3-0 [5/8] Emma Logan 11-8, 11-7, 11-6
[3/4] Reka Kemecsei 3-0 [5/8] Ella Bannister 11-4, 11-4, 11-3
[2] Emily Coulcher-Porter 3-0 [9/12] Bonnie Elvin 11-3, 11-4, 11-0
GU17
[1] Harriet Broadbridge 3-0 [5/8] Sophie Townsend 11-2, 11-2, 11-3[3/4] Fearne Copley 3-0 [9/12] Rebecca Little 11-5, 11-6, 11-8
[3/4] Renata Colabella 3-0 [5/8] Ella Jacobi 11-5, 11-4, 11-4
[2] Ameerah Ismail 3-0 [9/12] Erin Lauder 11-2, 11-6, 11-5
GU15
[1] Phoebe Griffiths v [5/8] Bella GokaniSat 10.30 [3/4] Sienna Hampshaw v [5/8] Karen Mills
[3/4] Eliza Hales v [5/8] Madalena Sidoli
[2] Esther Chak v [5/8] Evie Pulford
GU13
[1] Siona Mishra 3-0 [5/8] Ruby Carroll 11-8, 11-7, 11-4[3/4] Freya Hennings 3-1 [5/8] Ada Brown 11-5, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5
[5/8] Heidi Hales 3-1 [3/4] Sophie Ballentyne 11-7, 3-11, 11-5, 11-8
[2] Eleanor Everington-Hunt 3-2 [5/8] Fernella Rush 11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 2-11, 11-7
GU11
A [1] Abigail Zeng v D [3/4] Manar Ismail
4 pools B [2] Arya Knobbs v C [3/4] Eleanor Flett
