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American No. 1 Amanda Sobhy is brimming with excitement ahead of the upcoming Delaware Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships and is hoping to get off to a good start when the event begins on Saturday October 10.
The charismatic 22-year-old claimed silverware at the NetSuite Open last week with a win over Sarah-Jane Perry in the final and she is set to face off against the Englishwoman again in the opening round of the first PSA World Series event of the season.
“I’m very excited about the U.S. Open this year, ” said the World No 11.
“Unfortunately I had to miss out on it last year but to be coming back this year for what is the biggest US event and being the top ranked US player is a great feeling so hopefully I can go out there and play well.”
Sobhy, who is unseeded for the event, missed out on last year’s tournament due to university commitments but was part of the 2013 event which became the first PSA World Series event to feature equal prize money for both the men and the women, something which she enjoys being a part of.
“US Squash has been doing some great things in recent years, especially getting parity between the men and the women and it feels great to be involved in that movement, ” she said.
After completing a degree in social anthropology at Harvard University, Sobhy turned her attention to the PSA World Tour in a full time capacity which culminated in last week’s sensational display in San Francisco.
Sobhy says that, while her life as a professional is markedly different from her university days, she is enjoying being able to focus on her career.
“A lot of people have told me that I should expect to watch my ranking plummet now that I’m a full-time pro and it’s my job but I’m trying not to think about it, ” New York-born Sobhy said.
“I’m just going out and trying to enjoy playing a full season without worrying about school or homework. I’m not putting any extra pressure on myself and I’m just trying to do my best in each tournament. Now that I’m not in school I have more time to train.
“I used to maybe train a couple of hours a day for five days a week but with exams and classes and papers it was kind of all over the place. Now I can focus on having a really set structure and programme that I can track and it’s such a nice feeling to be able to focus fully on my game instead of cramming it all in.”
Report courtesy of PSA Media
