KUALA LUMPUR: Asian Under-15 girls' champion Harleein Tan is among four Malaysians who reached the third round of the World Junior Squash Championships in Houston, Texas, yesterday.
The Negri Sembilan player defeated New Zealand's Ella Hill 11-2, 11-6, 11-5 in the first round and Brazil's Laura Souza Bezerra Da Silva 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 12-10 in the second round. Harleein will face joint ninth seed Akari Midorikawa of Japan next.
Asian Under-19 girls' champion U. Thanussa, who received a first round bye, routed New Zealand's Anabel Romero Gemmell 11-5, 11-3, 11-2 in the second round.
Joint ninth seed Whitney Isabelle Wilson, who received a first round bye, also reached the third round after defeating Lilou Brevard of France 11-3, 11-3, 11-6. Anrie Goh, who received a first round bye, ousted Canadian Joelle Kim 11-9, 11-3, 11-6
But two Malaysians fell yesterday. V. Haneesha, who beat Japan's Akira Nakajima 11-2, 11-5, 11-8 in the first round, lost to Egypt's joint fifth seed Nour Megahed 11-9, 11-9, 14-16, 11-3.
Doyce Lee lost to Hong Kong's Ka Huen Leung 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 in the first round.
In the boys' competition, all six Malaysians won their first round matches. Joint ninth seed Harith Danial Jefri beat India's
Tavneet Singh Mundra 11-5, 11-5, 11-6; M. Nickhileswar beat South Africa's Judah Phillips 11-5, 11-7, 11-3; Low Wa Sern beat Brazil's Matheus Frabetti 11-2, 11-1, 11-6; Aqil Mirza Naim Khairil Fariz beat South Africa's Devon Osborne 12-10, 11-6, 5-11; Ivan Jia beat Filipino Jude Bas 11-4, 11-4, 11-0; and Altamis Sufian got a walkover from German Alexander Neumann.