RESULTS: Women's HKFC WSA 25, Happy Valley, Hong Kong
Sobhy Soars To Hong Kong Success
Young
US squash star Amanda Sobhy picked up one of the biggest Tour
titles of her brief career to date when she defeated Australia's former
world number one and world champion Rachael Grinham in straight
games in today's final of the HKFC WSA 25 in Hong Kong.
The
20-year-old US number one reached the climax of the WSA Silver 25
event at the Hong Kong Football Club in Happy Valley
without dropping a game - then crushed 37-year-old Grinham 11-6, 11-2,
11-9 in just 23 minutes to extend her remarkable record in WSA World
Tour finals to 12 wins from 13 appearances.
"The
first game started steadily with both players trading points," explained
event spokesman Dallas Reid. "At five-all, however, Amanda seemed
to start to dominate and ran out 11-6. She then took that momentum and
dominated the second with the help of some unforced errors from Rachael.
She reinforced this with her ability to pick up some of Rachael's
tightest drops, and re-drop with extreme accuracy and claimed the second
11-2.
"Despite the gulf in the second game, Rachael came out full of fight in
the third and in her trade-mark style fought for every point. At 8-9
Amanda appealed for a let when impeded trying to reach a very tight drop
shot. When awarded a no-let, she pointed out 'I've got long legs'. Sadly
the referee remained unmoved. Notwithstanding, she kept her focus and
closed out the match 11-9 to win 3/0."
Grinham commented that she simply could not hit the ball tight enough
and that allowed Amanda to dominate the game with her own powerful and
accurate shots.
"Amanda is a strong player, and is just getting stronger," said the
Queenslander.
Presentation picture shows Amanda Sobhy with Hong Kong-based World
Squash Federation Vice President Heather Deayton
Sobhy & Grinham To Contest Hong Kong Final
US
number one Amanda Sobhy and veteran Australian Rachael Grinham
will contest the final of the HKFC WSA 25 in Hong Kong after
surviving today's semi-finals of the WSA Silver 25 squash event
at the Hong Kong Football Club in Happy Valley in straight
games.
Grinham, the 37-year-old former world number one and world champion,
brought to an end the giant-killing run of Salma Hany Ibrahim,
the unseeded 17-year-old Egyptian who stunned England's top seed
Jenny Duncalf in the first round.
Third
seed Grinham beat the Cairo teenager (both pictured right) 11-8,
11-4, 12-10 in 31 minutes to progress to her third WSA World Tour
final since April - and the 66th of her career!
"It
was a tough game," said the Queenslander. "Salma has played really well
this week, taking out two seeds. However, I felt I played well. I moved
well and picked up shots which I knew I had to do to force the pace and
keep the pressure on her."
Ibrahim, whose five-game victory over Duncalf marked the biggest scalp
of her career, said: "I have had a great week here in Hong Kong and at
the HKFC, and look forward to playing here again; the tournament has
been great.
"I had
two really tough matches, beating Jenny and taking revenge on Donna
after losing to her last week at the British. I surprised myself to be
in the semis, in my first International 25.
"Rachael is very tough to play; today I felt flat after the physical and
mental challenges earlier this week. She put me under very tough
conditions in the match.
"I
would like to thank Haisham Effat, M. Mossaid, my physical coach Hossam
Shadad, and the other national coaches Omar Elborolossy and Ahmed
Matgany - and also huge thanks to Anna and Ferry for their continued
support, and Mazen for the support in this tournament. Also I thank my
Mum: I owe her so much," concluded the youngster.
Second
seed Sobhy reached the 13th Tour final of her career after beating
Nicolette Fernandes, the No4 seed from Guyana, 11-4, 12-10, 11-6 in
27 minutes.
"I am
happy with how I played," said the 20-year-old Harvard University
student from New York. "Nicolette is a tough player and we have had some
great battles in the past. She did really well in the British last week.
"I
felt I contained her game by staying calm and sticking to my game plan,
which I knew I had to do as she has so much energy and is so fit. I am
looking forward to another fun match tomorrow."
Grinham and Sobhy will be meeting for the fourth time on the WSA Tour -
with the US star having the edge 2/1 in their head-to-head record after
winning their most recent clash, in the semi-finals of the Granite
Club Open in Canada in March.
Grinham will be bidding for her 34th Tour title, while Sobhy will be
aiming for her 11th - having only once lost in
a WSA Tour final!
Hany Now In HKFC Semis
Unseeded Egyptian teenager Salma Hany Ibrahim continued her
giant-killing charge through the HKFC WSA 25 field in Hong Kong
after taking out a second seed in today's quarter-finals of the WSA
Silver 25 squash event at the Hong Kong Football Club in
Happy Valley.
Just
24 hours after claiming the biggest scalp of her life when she upset
England's top seed Jenny Duncalf, the 17-year-old from Alexandria
battled for four games to dismiss sixth seed Donna Urquhart.
Despite a world ranking difference of 12 places, Hany (pictured
above) defeated the Australian world No26 11-4, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9 in
46 minutes to set up a semi-final clash with Urquhart's compatriot
Rachael Grinham.
Third
seed Grinham, a former world number one and world champion, dropped her
first game in the tournament when she beat fifth seed Joey Chan
11-3, 11-9, 3-11, 11-9, thereby ending home interest in the
championship.
The
other semi will be the encounter predicted by the draw - between second
seed Amanda Sobhy and No4 seed Nicolette Fernandes. US
number one Sobhy, a student at Harvard University, took just 26 minutes
to overcome Egypt's No7 seed Heba El Torky 11-5, 11-1, 11-4.
Guyana
star Fernandes had an altogether different route to her anticipated semi
- being made to fight back from two games down by Delia Arnold
before beating the Malaysian qualifier 2-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-5 in
an 86-minute marathon.
Salma Sinks Top Seed Duncalf In HKFC Shock
Egyptian teenager Salma Hany Ibrahim scored the biggest Tour
victory of her life when she upset England's top seed Jenny Duncalf,
a former world No2, in today's first round of the HKFC WSA 25, a
WSA Silver 25 squash event at the Hong Kong Football Club
in Happy Valley, Hong Kong.
Unseeded, the 17-year-old from Alexandria recovered from 2/1 down to
topple world No12 Duncalf 11-4, 5-11, 3-11, 11-4, 11-2 in 45 minutes.
Hany,
ranked 38 in the world, now faces Donna Urquhart after the sixth
seed from Australia despatched US veteran Latasha Khan 11-4,
11-8, 12-10.
There
was a further upset on the opening day of this inaugural WSA World Tour
event when Malaysian Delia Arnold became the only qualifier to
make the last eight after ousting Aisling Blake, the No8 seed
from Ireland, 11-6, 12-14, 11-6, 11-7 in 65 minutes.
Arnold, the 28-year-old world No40 from Selangor, now faces Nicolette
Fernandes, the No4 seed from Guyana who beat Welsh qualifier Deon
Saffery 11-1, 11-8, 11-8.
Fifth
seed Joey Chan carries home interest into the quarter-finals
after fighting back from a game down to beat New Zealand qualifier
Kylie Lindsay 10-12, 11-7, 11-4, 11-2.
The
26-year-old Hong Kong number two, ranked 24 in the world, next takes on
experienced Australian Rachael Grinham.
The
37-year-old former world No1 from Queensland, already playing her 10th
Tour event of the year, defeated Hong Kong wild card Carmen Lee
11-7, 11-8, 11-8.