A record fifty-seven Americans will represent Team USA and take on the world’s best juniors at the 2019 Dunlop British Junior Open, January 2-6, at Birmingham University and Edgbastion Priory Club in Birmingham, England.

2019 marks the fifth annual Team USA trip to the BJO with the top-ranked players from across the U.S. selected to compete across ten divisions–boys’ and girls’ U11, U13, U15, U17 and U19.

Select matches will be live streamed from the glass court at Birmingham University and courts 1-4 at Edgbastion Priory Club. Streaming, match times, locations and draws will be available on the British Junior Open website.

Team USA is targeting its first BJO title since Olivia Blatchford won the GU15 division in 2007. The 2018 BJO produced two top-three finishes from Americans, Christian Capella finishing third in the BU11 and Marina Stefanoni finishing as runner-up in the GU17.

Seven members of Team USA enter the tournament as top eight seeds. For the second year in a row, Stefanoni leads the GU17 draw as the top seed with a potential final against Egypt’s two seed Sana Ibrahim. California’s Serena Daniel joins Stefanoni in the GU17 division as a 5/8 seed.

Elsewhere, Team USA will have five other 5/8 seeds: Lucie Stefanoni (GU15), Eva Salzman (GU13), Riya Navani (GU13), Caroline Eielson (GU13) and Thomas Rosini (BU17)–the lone American boys’ seed.

2018 saw three Americans defy the seedings to reach the quarterfinals, in addition to three other Americans that fulfilled their seeding to reach the quarterfinals.

“This event continues to expose our highest-ranked juniors to the best squash players around the world, which in turn continues our development as we strive to be the best squash playing nation,” said Rich Wade, Senior Director of National Teams. “In addition, it creates a team dynamic that is unmatched in any other of our national team programs with the junior national coaches playing an important role and the athletes buying into the Team USA culture.”

The Junior Team USA coaching staff will consist of Simba Muhwati, Luke Butterworth, Jon Geekie, Henry Clutsam, Charlie Johnson, Supreet Singh, Georgina Stoker, Celia Pashley and Laurent Elriani.