Mustonen and Nee Celebrate Dutch Junior Success
July 16, 2009
A week after winning the Pioneer Junior U19 Open titles in Germany, Finland’s Henrik Mustonen and Malaysian Low Wee Nee were reunited on the winners’ podiums of the Dutch Junior Open Squash Championships after securing the U19 trophies in the latest European Squash Federation Junior Circuit event at the Frans Otten Stadion in the Netherlands’ capital Amsterdam.
For Mustonen, the 18-year-old top seed, it was his second successive unexpected clash with Englishman Charles Sharpes in the men’s final. Sharpes, a 5/8 seed from London, had reached the final after a semi-final win over Nick Sachvie, the Canadian who had upset second-seeded Frenchman Lucas Serme in the previous round.
But again Mustonen was too strong for the younger Englishman — beating 17-year-old Sharpes 12-10, 11-3, 11-4 to win his third ESF Junior Circuit title in a row.
Low Wee Nee came through the women’s U19 field as a 3/4 seed — making the final after overcoming compatriot Tan Yan Xin, a 5/8 seed who had earlier ousted England’s top seed Kimberley Hay.
The 17-year-old from Penang’s opponent in the final was also the same surprise candidate she faced in the Pioneer climax. In the other semi, 5/8 seed Catalina Pelaez had beaten France’s Faustine Gilles, a 9/16 seed responsible for the earlier removal of local star Milou van der Heijden, the No2 seed.
Again it took four games to resolve the final – but Low Wee Nee celebrated her second successive triumph over the Colombian to win 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 13-11.
The victory marks the return of the women’s trophy to the Low family after older sister Low Wee Wern triumphed in the Amsterdam event in 2007.
RESULTS:
Men’s U19 quarter-finals:
Semi-finals:
Final:
[1] Henrik Mustonen (FIN) bt [5/8] Charles Sharpes (ENG) 12-10, 11-3, 11-4
Women’s U19 quarter-finals:
Semi-finals:
Final:
[3/4] Low Wee Nee (MAS) bt [5/8] Catalina Pelaez (COL) 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 13-11