Team USA’s Amanda Sobhy recorded her second three-game victory in the 2016 Allam British Open Wednesday morning, defeating world No. 10 Alison Waters to reach the quarterfinals of the final world series event of the season in Hull, England.
The world No. 7 from Sea Cliff, New York, found herself down 6-3 early in the first game, at which point Sobhy clawed back to take the first game 11-8.
Sobhy continued her advantage in the second, winning 11-3, before emphatically closing out the twenty-eight-minute match 11-2 in the third.
“Making the quarterfinals is awesome, ” Sobhy said. “This tournament is second only to the World Championship – it’s such a prestigious tournament. Hopefully I can do even better and maybe lift the trophy.”
Sobhy has now defeated Waters two out of her three matches against the English former world No. 3 in 2016. Sobhy defeated Waters in the Tournament of Champions quarterfinals, but lost against the thirty-two year old in the Cleveland Classic semifinals.
“I knew how important the first game was, as she thrives on the momentum which can make her so deadly, ” Sobhy said.
“I tried my best in the first game to get on top and it took a while to settle but fortunately at the end of the first game I got lucky with a couple of calls.”
Sobhy is the first American to reach the British Open quarterfinals since former world No. 1 Natalie Grainger in 2004.
Sobhy’s quarterfinal will be a rematch of the 2016 J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions final against world No. 5 Nour El Sherbini. El Sherbini claimed her maiden PSA world series title against Sobhy in New York City, then went on to reach the final of the Windy City Open earlier this month.
Watch their quarterfinal match Friday at 8am ET on SquashTV.
