Team USA’s Amanda Sobhy reached a new milestone in her recovery from a second achilles rupture by reaching her first PSA final of the season at the Canadian Women’s Open Thursday, October 31, in Toronto.
Sobhy, world No. 16, began her Canadian Open title defense as the PSA Silver tournament’s three seed. Sobhy opened up her tournament with a 3-0 win over Pan American Games teammate Marina Stefanoni in the second round.
In the quarterfinals, Sobhy dispatched England’s world No. 17 Sarah-Jane Perry with another dominant 3-0 performance to set up a semifinal against France’s Melissa Alves. Sobhy progressed to the final with yet another comprehensive 3-0 win over Alves where she met Belgium’s Tinne Gilis. Sobhy fell short in the finals, but will take another positive step in her comeback from a second achilles rupture last season.
“I think it’s taken some time to find my find my form again and in my mind I’m back at my top level and I think that just needed to sink in,” Sobhy said after her semifinal win. “I’m really enjoying competing and bringing the competitor out of me is quite tricky but it’s coming back. I love the vibes here and I’m hoping to try and become a two-time champ. I think it’s just trusting myself, trusting my game, trusting that I know how to play and despite my ranking, I’m always a fighter and competitor. If I just go out there and believe in myself, I think I can beat anyone on tour so it’s just getting my head around that.”
Sobhy has fulfilled or exceeded her seeding in three four out of her five tournament appearances to date, and has reached a PSA Platinum quarterfinal at the Paris Open in September.
Sobhy’s next PSA appearance is slated for the PSA Platinum Milwaukee Hong Kong Squash Open, December 2-8, where the American will enter the draw as the ten seed.