Just
days after winning the US Colleges title, and 24 hours before beginning
her US National Championship title bid, US number one Amanda Sobhy
secured the 11th and biggest WSA World Tour title of her career
when she upset top seed Omneya Abdel Kawy in the final of the
Women's Granite Open in Toronto, Canada.
It was
a sensational climax to the WSA Silver 25 squash event at
Granite Club where fourth seed Sobhy - a full-time student at
Harvard University - first upset second-seeded Australian Rachael
Grinham in the semi-finals before inflicting an 11-5, 11-5, 11-9
defeat in 36 minutes on Abdel Kawy in her first ever meeting with the
world No13 from Egypt.
It was
the latest milestone in the remarkable career of the 20-year-old from
New York who made headlines in 2010 when, aged just 17, she won the
World Junior Championship against expectations to become the first
US player to win a world singles title.
Earlier in the year, Sobhy became the first 16-year-old to win four WSA
World Tour titles - and the Toronto triumph means that that left-hander
has now only lost one WSA Tour final in 12 appearances!
"Super
happy to win my 11th and biggest tournament title here in Toronto
tonight," said the exuberant Sobhy after her Granite success. "I cannot
express how delighted I am to be able to overcome everything and win
this tournament.
"I
just finished my college nationals on Sunday and hopped on a plane
Monday to play here from Tuesday so my head was a bit fried - but one of
my goals this year was to win this tournament and I am delighted to come
through and achieve this goal tonight.
"Big
thank you to Jess (Jessica DiMauro) and her team for putting on a
spectacular event this week. It was definitely worth it to miss a week
of school. Everybody has been so wonderful throughout the tournament,
especially my amazing host family, the Francis, and I cannot wait to
come back to the Granite Club again!
"Also
a big thank you to the people I have been working with at school and to
my family who always support me in everything I do. I never would have
expected to be able to compete with the top level girls while attending
college.
"Now a
quick nap before I hop on a 6am flight to Charlottesville where I will
be competing in the US nationals starting tomorrow midday so wish me
luck! Looking forward to some much deserved rest time after Sunday!"
Abdel Kawy & Sobhy Going For Granite Glory
Egypt's top seed Omneya Abdel Kawy and US number one Amanda
Sobhy will celebrate their maiden meeting on the WSA World Tour
when they contest the final of the Women's Granite Open, the
WSA Silver 25 squash event at Granite Club in Toronto,
Canada.
The
two former world junior champions - Kawy in 2003 and Sobhy in 2010 -
reached the climax in highly contrasting styles: The 28-year-old from
Cairo received a walkover after England's defending champion
Sarah-Jane Perry sustained an ankle injury during her quarter-final
match, whilst 20-year-old New Yorker Sobhy battled to a hard-fought
four-game victory over 37-year-old Australian Rachael Grinham,
the former world number one and world champion.
Incredibly, it was the second evening in a row in which Kawy progressed
from the sidelines - after her quarter-final opponent Line Hansen
was also forced to concede their match as a result of injury.
Kawy
maintained her match fitness - and delighted the Granite crowd - by
taking on club pro Samantha Cornett, the Canadian champion who
had earlier reached the event's quarter-finals, in an exhibition match.
The
sole semi-final marked Sobhy and Grinham's first meeting for almost two
years. "Two clashing playing styles turned out to be tons of excitement
for the spectators," explained tournament organiser Jessica DiMauro.
"Rachael chopped her drops in, flicked her lobs up and pushed her drives
with tons of deception. Amanda volleyed everything she could, kept the
pressure up and had enough patience to wait until Rachael's calculated
drops just hit the top of the tin.
"Both
girls (pictured above) are such unbelievable athletes. The match
was clean, with only two lets called the entire time. The fans were
hoping for a fifth, but Sobhy stayed strong and finished the match in
four."
The
Harvard student later told her Twitter followers: "Won a tough battle
against Rachael Grinham in 4 tonight in the semis of the #GraniteOpen!
Finals tomorrow against omneya! #letsgo #bigpush"
The
11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5 victory takes world No17 Sobhy into the 12th WSA
Tour final of her career, where she will be aiming for a remarkable 11th
title success! By contrast, Abdel Kawy - ranked four places higher - is
celebrating her 29th Tour final, and looking for her ninth title.
Champion Perry Powers Through To Granite Semis
Defending champion Sarah-Jane Perry is one match away from her
second successive appearance in the final of the Women's Granite Open
in Canada after overcoming English compatriot Sarah Kippax in
four games in the quarter-finals of the WSA World Tour Silver 25
squash event at Granite Club in Toronto.
"Sarah
(Kippax) got off to a great start, winning the first game 11-6," said
tournament organiser Jessica DiMauro. "Sarah was fast and patient
and really looked in control.
"In
the second game, SJ rolled her ankle and took an injury time-out. After
spraying freezing spray on her ankle and taping it up, Sarah-Jane went
back on court and turned the match around.
"She
won the next three games to take the match 3/1. These girls covered the
court with ease and made some amazing shots."
The
third seed's 6-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-7 victory - her third Tour win in a
row over world No23 Kippax - takes Perry, ranked 16 in the world,
through to face top seed Omneya Abdel Kawy. After narrowly
surviving a first round battle in five games, the world No13 from Egypt
eased into the last four after receiving a walkover from Denmark's
injured fifth seed Line Hansen.
It was
a close-fought match which went the full distance that eventually took
No4 seed Amanda Sobhy into the semis at the expense of local star
Samantha Cornett, the Canadian champion from Ottawa who twice led
in the match.
"With
a bit of bias, I would have to say that the second match of the night
was the most exciting for the home crowd," continued DiMauro. "Sam
Cornett played 'the best she has ever played' to barely lose 11-9 in the
fifth to Amanda.
"Sam
took the first game convincingly, but Sobhy came to life in the second
to even the score at one-all. The entire match went back and forth in
the same fashion but Sobhy pulled it out in the end. Such great,
physical squash."
Sobhy
was quick to express her delight via Twitter: "Holy moley. Won a nail
biter 11-9 in da 5th against @CornettSamantha! I think we both killed
ourselves the last point!"
The
4-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-3, 11-9 victory takes the 20-year-old US number one
through to her third Tour meeting with Australian star Rachael
Grinham, the 37-year-old former world number one and world champion.
Second
seed Grinham showed that she still has what it takes when she saw off
Welsh qualifier Tesni Evans 11-2, 11-7, 12-10.
"I
don't think any of the Granite spectators had ever seen a player quite
like Rachael," explained DiMauro. "'How does she do that?' was coming
out of everyone's mouths.
"She's
quick and crafty and fun to watch. Tesni is always a crowd-pleaser with
her wise-cracks, smiles and of course, awesome squash. As much as Tez
tried to weasel the ref, Rach was just too strong for her tonight."
Cornett Lifts Home Hopes in Toronto
Hopes
of home success in the Women's Granite Open in Canada were lifted
when wild card Samantha Cornett pulled off a shock five-game
victory over Hong Kong's higher-ranked Joey Chan in the opening
round of the WSA World Tour Silver 25 squash event at Granite
Club in Toronto.
The
Canadian champion was making her third successive appearance in the
event and, after taking the opening game, dropped the next two as
seventh seed Chan, the world No24, used her experience to advance.
But
23-year-old Cornett, from Ottawa, dug deep to regain the advantage
before closing out the match 11-3, 9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4.
"The
highlight of the night for our Granite crowd was home-club hero Sam
Cornett's upset win over Joey," said tournament organiser Jessica
DiMauro. "The match was a battle all the way through and we're all
so lucky and happy to have witnessed this win. Joey moves so well and
Sam had to be ultra-patient to find an opening. Thanks for a great match
girls. We all really enjoyed it."
World
No38 Cornett now takes on US star Amanda Sobhy for a place in the
semi-finals. Fourth seed Sobhy, the 20-year-old world No17 from New
York, defeated Egyptian qualifier Heba El Torky 11-3, 11-4, 11-7.
"Happy
to win 3-0 today against @HebaElTorky," tweeted Harvard student Sobhy
later. "We were rockin the different shades of pink tonight!"
England's Sarah-Jane Perry successfully began the defence of her
title with a straight games win over top-ranked Japanese opponent
Misaki Kobayashi.
"Misaki,
as always, was moving terrifically - but SJ had her all over the court
with her great holds and great space," commented DiMauro. "It's nice to
see our Granite Open reigning champ playing so well."
The
third seed's 11-6, 11-2, 11-8 win takes Perry through to a quarter-final
clash with fellow countrywoman Sarah Kippax - the pair's first
meeting since contesting the event's semi-finals last year.
"Sarah
Kippax played an amazing, consistent match, dominating the young
Egyptian," reported DiMauro. "Sadly, not enough people got to see that
match as we had to put it on the second court to fit all the matches in
tonight. But we are certainly looking forward to watching Sarah play on
Wednesday."
Welsh
qualifier Tesni Evans also earned a surprise quarter-final berth
at the expense of injured Australian Donna Urquhart.
"Donna
has been struggling with a pulled calf this week and couldn't make it
through the match, retiring when down 2/1," explained Di Mauro.
The
11-8, 7-11, 11-7 (ret.) scoreline takes Evans through to meet former
world number one Rachael Grinham, the No2 seed from Australia who
beat Ireland's Aisling Blake 11-5, 11-4, 13-11.
