Scottish Junior Open 2025: Day 2 selected reports

Sophie Ballentyne (2) vs Nuie Chew (5/8)

Despite a spirited second game recovery Ballentyne was unable to progress from round three, losing three games to one to Nuie Chew.

The Australian started very strongly racing into an initial 8-1 lead, to win the first game 11-4.

Buoyed by a few winners at the end of the opening game, the Newlands squash star exerted more pressure on Chew, continually preventing her opponent from leading by more than 2 points.

Her confidence grew, and she would win a hard fought game 16-14.

However, again Chew started in the ascendancy taking a lead at the midway point of the fourth game, which would prove pivotal, winning 11-7 to progress.

Ballentyne recovered well showing plenty of spirit throughout, levelling briefly in the final game.

Tina Ma (2) vs Phoebe Anne Hamilton (5/8)

Tyne athlete Hamilton was unable to advance, succumbing to the current Australian U17 champion Tina Ma by three games to one.

Up against her strong opponent, the Scot showed no signs of early nerves, winning the first game 11-9.

A close encounter followed for the next game, and Hamilton recovered admirably from 6-1 down to have the game within one, however Ma regained composure to level the match winning the second game 11-8.

Unfortunately, for Hamilton this gave Ma more impetus, and she began to exert more control to take a 2-1 lead finishing the game 11-6.

The fourth game progressed quickly, and Ma outlined her tournament credentials emphatically winning 11-1.

BU13 Semi Finals

Although both semi-finals were won three games to love, no games were overly one sided, with plenty competitive long rallies showcasing their athletic abilities.

Muhammad Mustafa Khan of Pakistan proceeded first to the final overcoming Mior El-Fayech Mior Ahmad Nazril of Malaysia.

The early moments of the match set the tone for the duration of the game, with Khan taking the first seven points before prevailing 11-4 in the first game.

Nazril’s strong shot selection led to a far more competitive game in the second game with the points difference far smaller from the start.

However, Khan took the initiative again to win a few consecutive points to win 11-6.

Khan then advanced to the final 11-5 in the third game.

Hong Kong player Nicholas Min–Suh Cho will play Khan in to the coveted final after defeating Japanese athlete Harutoshi Yasui.

An 11-9 competitive opening game signalled a possible long match, though the fact that Cho was always one or two ahead gave him the advantage which he would never relinquish.

Additional longer rallies in the second were a delight to watch, however were at Yasui’s expense, who on many occasions was unable to return Cho’s low shots on his way to a 11-4 second game win.

The third game was over very quickly with Cho romping to a 7-2 lead which diminished any lingering thoughts of a comeback on his way to another 11-4 game win to advance past Yasui 3-0.

It was a very clean game with few strokes awarded, and both happily linked arms to share a photo at the end.

The final will likely be a compelling watch with Cho second and Khan 9/16 in the rankings.

Match reports by Telfer Gray

Photo by Alex Hodge