Junior Squash Players Compete In Canada

Nine members of Bermuda’s Junior National Squad represented Bermuda at the 2018 Canadian Junior Open in Niagara on the Lake, Canada this week. The tournament saw 300 participants competing from over 20 countries.

Charlie Riker got things off to a strong start in the Boys Under 17 division, winning his first round match against Charlie McDonald of Canada 12-10, 11-6, 11-1. Fellow BU17 player Matthew Elliott met the same Canadian player in a later round and pushed McDonald to four games before going down 11-8, 4-11, 11-13, 5-11.

Having just aged up to the Boys Under 19 division, Taylor Carrick lost a 5-set battle in the opening round against Mitchell Kahnert of Canada 11-7, 2-11, 14-16, 11-6, 6-11. Three subsequent decisive 3-0 wins against players from Mexico and Canada took Taylor into the Consolation Round Quarter Finals where he went down to the eventual 17th place winner. Taylor finished 21/24 in a field of 64.

Veteran Anaya Smith and first-timer Josai Williams also competed in the BU19 group facing 3 players each from Mexico and Canada. Meanwhile sole female player for Bermuda, Abigail Brewer, battled opponents Nicole Temple of Canada, Lewis Ocean of the US and Jodi Smith-Padmore of Barbados to finish 21/24 in Girls Under 17.

According to tournament rules, match winners are required to referee the next match on their court. BU13 player Andrew Cox got his first taste of reffing at the international level following his Bronze win against Beckett Yuzpe of Canada 11-9, 11-6, 5-11, 8-11, 11-5. Andrew played 4 matches to reach the Bronze Semi-Finals where he went down to Paulo Ordonez of Mexico 11-5, 11-9, 11-7.

Ethan Rosorea played three young Canadians in his Boys Under 13 division – Fred Bemeur-Thorson, Faraaz Khan and Calder Murray [scoring 11-13, 9-11, 4-11 against Calder]. Murray found himself also playing Ethan’s younger brother Owen Rosorea who at 9 years old was one of the youngest competitors in the international tournament. Murray was also pitted against Bermuda’s Andrew Cox – so the three BU13 boys decided he deserved a Bermuda team shirt to take home.

The older Bermuda Junior National Squad players coached the team throughout the 4-day tournament which saw Bermuda on court for a total of 31 matches. The team put in a strong showing this year proving their ability to compete at this level. The Junior National Squad is fully committed to competing at the Canadian Junior Open again in December 2019.

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