Junior squash: Lyla wins, Daniel takes third

by Julian Wellings | 18 May 2026 | competition, events, juniors, squash

By Fiona Geaves, East Glos performance coach

East Glos Junior Mavericks Daniel Stevenson and Lyla Blumberg continue to impress with standout performances on court, showcasing their development and competitive strength.

Congratulations to Lyla on winning the GU13 Queens Club Bronze event in London on 10th May.

In its first year hosting the event, Lyla delivered a composed and dominant display in a round robin format. She controlled her opening match superbly, winning 2–0, before facing a much tougher opponent.

Remaining focused and disciplined, Lyla once again secured a 2–0 victory, firmly shutting down any opportunity for her opponent to get into the match. A fantastic achievement and a clear sign of her growing confidence and consistency.

Last weekend also saw Daniel compete in his second recent Silver event in Lincoln.

Building on his new U15 ranking, Daniel entered as a 5/8 seed. He demonstrated he is quickly becoming a strong contender in this category.

He progressed through his first two matches in a controlled fashion before facing 3/4 seed Toby Rider in the quarterfinals, where he delivered a highly dominant performance, controlling every aspect of the match to secure an emphatic 2–0 victory.

In the semi-final, #2 seed Joseph Underwood showed clear adjustments from his recent loss to Daniel, using controlled height to prevent Daniel from settling into the match.

Daniel responded superbly to take the second game with a gutsy 12–10 win, forcing a decider. However, Joseph returned to his disciplined use of height, effectively neutralising Daniel’s attacking style to secure the match.

Daniel delivered a commanding response in the 3rd/4th playoff, returning to his composed, structured best to dominate throughout. Controlling the tempo and applying consistent pressure, he secured a convincing 2–0 victory to claim an excellent 3rd-place finish, underlining his progress and earning valuable U15 ranking points ahead of the new season in September.