Tuesday is off to a successful start for Team USA at the Women’s World Team Championship with a 3-0 victory over [13/16]-seeded Mexico in the second day of Group C play at White Oaks Resort in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
The U.S. lineup saw one change from Monday’s match against Guatemala with Sabrina Sobhy making her first appearance of the tournament at No. 3 in place of player-coach Natalie Grainger. Amanda Sobhy and Olivia Blatchford both remained at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions respectively.
United States bt Mexico 3-0:
Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt Diana Garcia (MEX) 11-7, 11-3, 11-4
Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Samantha Teran (MEX) 11-5, 11-8, 11-6
Sabrina Sobhy (USA) bt Nayelly Hernandez (MEX) 11-3, 11-4, 10-12, 11-5
The No. 2’s led off the match with Blatchford against fellow twenty-one-year-old Diana Garcia. Garcia earned a couple of leads early in the first game, which Blatchford cut down to go up at 7-6, at which point Blatchford didn’t look back winning the first game 11-7. Blatchford commanded the rest of the match to win the second and third games 11-3, 11-4.
The No. 1’s followed with Amanda Sobhy and Samantha Teran. Sobhy held off Teran in the first 11-5, but Teran provided Sobhy with her most difficult game of the tournament thus far in the second, which at one point stood level at 8-8. Sobhy then finished off the game with three straight points 11-8. Sobhy pushed through the third 11-6 to clinch the individual and team match for the U.S.
With every game and point factored into the overall group standings, the No. 3’s entered the court despite Team USA having already won the overall match. In her first match of the tournament, Sabrina Sobhy was in top form in her first two games against Nayelly Hernandez winning 11-3, 11-4. Hernandez fought back in the third, however, pulling away at 10-10 to claim Mexico’s only game of the match 12-10. Sobhy regained control in the fourth to win her opening match 11-5.
A crucial evening match against eleventh-seeded hosts Canada is up next for Team USA with second place in Group C on the line. Play begins on the glass court at 6pm, and will be streamed live.
Glass Court Live Stream: http://www.sportscanada.tv/squashcanada/index.php/watch-live/glass-court
All live streams: http://www.sportscanada.tv/squashcanada/
For full tournament coverage, visit wsfwomensteams.com.
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