Defending champion Mohamed El Shorbagy’s sailboat escaped a capsize in Nathan Lake before the top-seeded Egyptian re-charted his course into the third round of the world junior squash championship here at the ICL academy courts on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old Shorbagy avoided the shocking elimination when he bounced back in the third game. Shorbagy won 11-6, 10-12, 11-6, 11-4.

However, it was curtains for third seed Karim Abdel Gawad. The Egyptian was toppled by spirited Pakistani Nosherwan Khan 15-13, 2-11, 11-5, 11-7. It was a gritty show by Lake considering that he landed in the city only on the match day morning.

The entire England team was scheduled to arrive on Sunday but missed the flight. The British team “was not aware that they have to get visa for travelling to India”. “We came to know only when an immigration officer told us at Heathrow airport,” said Lake with the sheepish smile. Lake showed no signs of fatigue inside the glass court even after a 13-hour flight from London. He matched the Egyptian star shot by shot.

Lopsided matches marked the girls’ section. The seeded players led by Indian Dipika Pallikal and Egyptian Heba El Tourky warmed up with straight games victories to make it to the third round. Dipika wrapped up her match in just under 15 minutes as the 17-year-old Chennai girl made mincemeat of American Natasha Kingshott 11-2, 11-3, 11-1. With Natasha making slew of errors from the word go, all Dipika had to do was just keeping the ball in play. She did just that to set up a clash with Lana Harrison of New Zealand in the third round.

Take a peek into the day’s proceedings by watching this video courtsey Squash Site & YouTube……

Out 23 Indians (12 boys and 11 girls) in the fray, only three girls (Dipika, Anwesha Reddy and Surbi Misra) advanced to the third round. Results: Boys: second round: Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt Nathan Lake (ENG) 15-13, 2-11, 11-5, 11-7. Ivan Yuen (MAL) bt Nasser Al-Rasheed (KUW) 11-8, 21-19, 11-8; Miled Zarazua (MEX) bt Choy Kit Lun (HKG) 11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 11-1, 11-7; Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Geoffrey Demont (FRA) 11-9, 11-3, 11-5; Farhan Zaman (PAK) bt Ben Coleman (ENG) 11-6, 19-17, 11-8; Todd Harrity (USA) bt Ramit Tandon (IND) 11-5, 11-9, 11-4; Lucas Vauzelle (FRA) bt Abhishek Pradhan (IND) 12-10, 11-9, 13-11; Andrew Wagih Shoukry (EGY) bt Johan Detter (SWE) 12-10, 11-4, 11-9; Nosherwan Khan (PAK) bt Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) 15-13, 2-11, 11-5, 11-7; Alfredo Avila (MEX) bt Nelson Chan (HKG) 11-3, 12-10, 11-4; Amr Khaled Khalifa (EGY) bt (29) Karan Malik (IND) 11-4, 11-3, 11-1. Girls: second round: Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt Natasha Kingshott (USA) 11-2, 11-3, 11-1; Nouran El Torky (EGY) bt Anaka Alankamony (IND) 14-12, 11-0, 11-3; Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt Cyrielle Peltier (FRA) 11-2, 11-8, 11-5; Sarah Cardwell (AUS) bt Saumya Karki (IND) 6-11, 11-8, 8-11, 14-12, 11-9; Salma Hany (EGY) bt Caroline Sayegh (GER) 11-2, 11-5, 13-11; Rachael Goh Mas (MAS) bt Harita Omprakash (IND) 11-9, 7-11, 11-4, 11-4; Maria Toor Pakay (PAK) bt Rheanne Niebling (AUS) 11-4, 11-8, 11-6; Surbhi Misra (IND) bt (25) Lisa-Marie Sedlmeier (GER) 11-2, 11-6, 11-6; Kimberley Hay (ENG) bt Nada Elkalaawy (EGY) 9-11, 11-1, 11-5, 11-9; Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy (EGY) bt Aparajitha Balamurukan (IND) 11-4, 11-4, 11-5; Laura Gemmell (CAN) bt Shivangi Paranjpe (IND) 11-6, 11-6, 11-5; Low Wee Nee (MAS) bt Damindhi Mudiyanselagie (SRI) 11-8, 11-5, 11-3; Mao Shihui (SIN) bt (Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 11-6, 10-12, 11-6, 11-4; Anwesha Reddy (IND) bt Danielle Letourneau (CAN) 11-6, 7-11, 12-10, 11-5; Carrie Ramsey (ENG) bt Zoya Khalid (PAK) 13-11, 5-11, 13-11, 11-7; Heba El Torky (EGY) bt Alexis Saunders (USA) 11-5, 11-1, 11-4.

We wouSome photos are courtsey Squash Site