TEENAGE squash prodigy Amelie Haworth made it an amazing fifth English Junior National Championships title under her belt in London at the weekend.
The 18-year-old, of Carisbrooke, made it the perfect way to sign off her domestic junior career before she goes off to California in September to study at Stanford University.
Amelie, another step towards her dream of playing for Great Britain in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, won the U19 category — going into it with the pressure of being the number one seed and favourite for the event.
Her success was as comprehensive as her dominance in the domestic junior and European game — winning the title without dropping a set.
Following a first round bye, Amelie set to work — breezing past Renitha Srindran, of Essex (11-1, 11-5, 11-2), 5/8-seeded Francesca Hall, of Yorkshire (11-7, 11-5, 11-1), 3/4-seeded Olivia Owens, of Warwickshire (11-2, 11-3, 11-2) in the semi-finals, and number two seed, Mariam Eissa, also of Warkwickshire, (11-9, 11-4, 11-9).
In Sunday's final, Amelie was given her toughest test against a player she met in the British Championship final and who is an England team-mate.
Amelie, who has Island number one player Adam Dominey as one of her coaches, was the more tactically astute player and always looked in control.
This was Amelie’s final domestic junior tournament, after 11 years on the junior circuit.
Turning 19 in November, to mark the end of her junior days, Amelie will now only compete in professional senior tournaments in England.
She will represent England in the European Championships next month in Romania, and in the World Championships in Houston, Texas, in July.
Amelie, who takes her A level exams at Millfield School, Somerset, this summer, leaves the English domestic junior scene with five English national titles and four British national accolades.
"It means a lot to have won my last English nationals. To have won it in every age group is a goal I’ve always wanted to achieve," she said.
"I thought I played well throughout the tournament and I’m now looking at training hard towards my next goal — winning the European Championships next month."
Preparing to make the step up to being a full professional in the sport, Amelie aims to become an Olympian in the near future, now squash has become the Olympics' newest sport.
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