IT is never easy to step up an age-group, especially at the prestigious British Junior Open.
But up-and-coming junior squash player Harith Danial Jefri showed just how comfortable he is after easing into the fourth round of the Under-15 category.
The Sarawakian, who was runner-up in the Under-13 just last year, simply oozed class as he blew away Japan’s Yujin Ikeda 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 in the third round at the University of Birmingham yesterday.
The joint fifth-eighth seed started slow as he tinned a few shots to allow Ikeda take an early lead.
But Harith quickly settled into his groove and sealed the win in just 19 minutes.
Harith will meet either Joe Pannell or Caleb Boy, both of England, in the last 16.
Girls’ Under-19 second seed Aifa Azman, who is gunning for a fourth British Junior title, romped to an 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 win over Japan’s Ayumi Watanabe in the second round on Thursday.
Aifa’s younger sister, Aira, who is the top seed in the Under-17 category, also had little trouble checking into the third round.
She first defeated England’s Isabel McCullough 11-4, 11-8, 11-4 before easing past France’s Ninon Lemarchand 11-5, 11-4, 11-7.
Results (involving Malaysian players)
BOYS (third round)
Under-15: Harith Danial Jefri bt Yujin Ikeda (Jpn) 11-6, 11-6, 11-6.
Girls (second round)
Under-13: Jomana Shehab (Egy) bt Haneesha Veerakumar 11-5, 11-3, 11-5; Whitney Wilson bt Charlotte Pastel (US) 11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 11-9; Doyce Lee bt Anabel Gemmell (Nzl) 11-4, 11-9, 11-5.
Under-15: K. Sehveetrraa bt Riya Navani (US) 11-5, 11-6, 11-6; Anrie Goh bt Varvara Kliueva (Rus) 11-4, 11-4, 11-6; Amelie Haworth (Eng) bt C. Sashmini 8-11, 11-5, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8; Khushi Kukadia (US) bt U. Thanusaa 11-9, 11-6, 12-10; Goh Zhi Xuan bt Ananya Maheshwari (Can) 11-4, 11-1, 11-1.
Under-17: Aira Azman bt Ninon Lemarchand (Fra) 11-5, 11-4, 11-7; Katie Malliff (Eng) bt Yasshmita Jadishkumar 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-5; Yee Xin Ying bt Joy Qu (US) 11-3, 11-3, 11-1.
Under-19: Noor Ainaa Amani Ampandi bt Shahd Elrefaey (Egy) 11-8, 6-11, 11-4, 11-5; Georgia Adderley (Sco) bt Amirah Rusydina Rosli 11-6, 11-0, 11-6; Aifa Azman bt Ayumi Watanabe (Jpn) 11-5, 11-5, 11-4.