Defending NetSuite Open women’s champion Amanda Sobhy will vie for her second consecutive title in the Saturday’s final after her first career victory over two seed and world No. 3 Nicol David Friday night on the NetSuite Challenge Court at Justin Herman Plaza, San Francisco.
The entertaining match began with David taking a close first game 12-10, but the twenty-three-year old American quickly responded winning the second 11-5 and a quick-fire third 11-2. Sobhy continued to push her advantage in the fourth with a 7-1 lead, but David clawed back to 5-9. Two winners clinched the game for Sobhy earning a second consecutive NetSuite Open final appearance in the women’s draw’s second year.
“Everything just clicked today, she’s a phenomenal player and I have the utmost respect for her, ” Sobhy said. “I knew it would be a battle, I just wanted it to be a fair match and for both of us to play our best. I lost the first game, but I knew I was right there in it and I just told myself to stay positive and I’m really happy that I was able to do that because I won.”
Sobhy, the world No. 7, recently reached her first career World Series final in Hong Kong, in which she defeated a world no. 1-ranked player, Nour El Sherbini, for the first time in her career. Sobhy credits her recent successes to a diversified training regimen.
“I had a seven-week training block this summer, which I’ve never done before in my entire life, ” Sobhy coninued. “It’s really nice to see it all pay off and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Sobhy will need to pull out another first career victory against England’s top seed Laura Massaro to retain her NetSuite Open title. Sobhy has lost all four previous tour encounters against the world No. 2.
The women’s final will be the first on Saturday evening at Justin Herman Plaza at 7pm ET. Watch live on SquashTV.
