Team USA’s Amanda Sobhy will face Egypt’s world No. 1 Nour El Sherbini in the Everbright Sun Hung Kai Hong Kong Squash Open round of sixteen after an upset over local favorite Annie Au Tuesday at the Hong Kong Squash Center.
Sobhy, world No. 13, avenged her Women’s World Team Championship loss against Au in September, which also took place on Chinese soil. The twenty-five-year-old piled the pressure on Au, world No. 12, pulling away from 1-all to clinch the match 11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6 in thirty-eight minutes.
“I just wanted to go out and enjoy myself,” Sobhy said. “Some people struggle on this court, but I knew Annie wouldn’t struggle. I actually like it as well, so I was quite excited to be out there and play. I just wanted to give it my best shot.”
Sobhy will return to the green and yellow center court at the Hong Kong Squash Center on Thanksgiving day when she takes on top seed El Sherbini.
“I’m happy, I love Hong Kong,” Sobhy said afterwards. “I have fond memories here. I got to the final here a few years ago so it was disappointing to miss it last year, but I was looking forward to it this year. I have a tough draw, but everyone is tough and the level is really deep at the moment.”
Watch the match between Sobhy and El Sherbini live on SquashTV and on the PSA World Tour Facebook page on Thursday, November 22, at 12pm local time, 11pm ET on Wednesday, November 21.
U.S. teammate Olivia Blatchford Clyne came out on the losing end of her opening match in Hong Kong later in the day, falling 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 in twenty-nine minutes against Egypt’s world No. 20 Hania El Hammamy.
For more tournament coverage visit hongkongopen.info.