USA Squash News

UNITED STATES

Teen Sobhy Celebrates Historic Win In Delaware
Howard Harding reports...

RESULTS: Women's Delaware State Squash Open, Wilmington, Delaware, USA

1st round:
[1] Miranda Ranieri (CAN) bt [Q] Alexis Saunders (USA) 11-4, 11-8, 11-6 [5]
Amelia Pittock (AUS) bt [Q] Pamela Anckermann (GUA) 9-11, 11-7, 11-4,11-2
[3] Melody Francis (AUS) bt [Q] Tina Rix (ENG) 11-4, 11-8, 11-6 [6]
Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt Thaisa Serafini (BRA) 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 [8]
Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt Genevieve Lessard (CAN) 11-7, 11-7, 11-6 [4]
Alexandra Norman (CAN) bt [Q] Mei Lin Ong (USA) 11-3, 11-7, 11-4
Salma Nassar (EGY) bt [7] Carrie Hastings (ENG) 11-8, 11-9, 12-10 [2]
Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Merhan Amr Mahmoud (EGY) 11-3, 11-2, 11-1

Quarter-finals: [1] Miranda Ranieri (CAN) bt [5] Amelia Pittock (AUS) 11-7, 11-9, 13-11 [6]
Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt [3] Melody Francis (AUS) 11-8, 11-8, 12-10 [4]
Alexandra Norman (CAN) bt [8] Samantha Cornett (CAN) 11-6, 4-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8 [2]
Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Salma Nassar (EGY) 12-10, 11-9, 11-7

Semi-finals:
[1] Miranda Ranieri (CAN) bt [6] Olivia Blatchford (USA) 11-2, 5-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-7 [2]
Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt [4] Alexandra Norman (CAN) 11-9, 14-12, 9-11,11-5

Final: [2] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt [1] Miranda Ranieri (CAN) 15-13, 11-9, 8-11,14-12

US teenager Amanda Sobhy became only the second player in the history of the WISPA World Squash Tour to win a second title as a 16-year-old when she beat Canadian Miranda Ranieri in the final of the $5,700 Women's Delaware State Open at Vicmead Hunt Club in Wilmington, USA.

Action in the inaugural WISPA Tour event was postponed for 24 hours after the region was covered by two foot of snow - and a state of emergency declared!

But once 'normal service' was resumed, the two top seeds made it through to the anticipated final - favourite Ranieri overcoming USA's sixth seed Olivia Blatchford in five games and second seed Amanda Sobhy defeating Canada's fourth seed Alexandra Norman in four.

But Sobhy, the world No50 from New York and the youngest player in the tournament, was too strong for Ranieri in the final, winning 15-13, 11-9, 8-11, 14-12.

It was only a month ago that the 16-year-old left-hander won her maiden Tour event at the Liberty Bell Open in Berwyn, Philadelphia - later sharing the WISPA record with Malaysia's world number one Nicol David, who won the Finnish Open and KL Open in 2000, aged 16.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

1^st ROUND
Olivia Blatchford (USA) beat Thaisa Serafini (BRA) 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-6)
Samantha Cornett (CAN) beat Genevieve Lessard(CAN) 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-6)
Salma Nassar(EGY) beat Carrie Hastings (ENG) 3-0 (11-8,11-9,12-10)
Alex Norman ( CAN) beat (Q) Mei Lin Ong (USA) 3-0(11-3,11-7,11-4)
Melody Francis (AUS) beat Tina Rix ( ENG) 3-0( 11-4, 11-8,11-6)
Miranda Ranieri (CAN) beat (Q) Alexis Saunders 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-6)
Amanda Sobhy (USA) beat Mehana Mahmoud 3-0 (11-3,11-7,11-1)
Amelia Pittock (AUS) best Pamela Ankerman 3-1 ( 9-11, 11-7,11-4,11-2)

Sam Cornett's birthday cake, what a better way to celebrate your 19th birthday than play in a WISPA tournament.

The main draw of the 2010 Delaware State Open( WISPA) got off to a straight forward start with all the seeds advancing without too much bother. Local wildcard qualifier Alexis Saunders , after making an unexpected entrance to the main round this morning ran dead smack into the number one seed from Canada Miranda Ranieri and while playing consistent squash did not have an answer for Ranieri’s higher pace and array of shots from all corners of the court.

The most entertaining match of the night featured Aussie Melody Francis and England’s Tina Rix. Francis from the outset was determined to keep the pace high with Rix trying to match her shot for shot but in the end the Aussie’s ability to mix in a wicked working boast to go along with the powerful backhand drives eventually saw her through in straight games.

Tomorrow’s quarter final match ups will feature two young lefties , one from the USA , Amanda Sobhy and the other from Egypt, Salma Nassar. This could be a start of a new rivalry as both players are very fast and adept at holding the ball, and possess the court speed to catch up to anything their opponents throws at them.

The other interesting match-up should be the number one seed Ranieri against Amelia Pittock, the number five seed and former top 30 player now residing in the US. It is sure to come down to a battle of who is the fittest player.