Sobhy (R) in her second World Series semifinal against world No. 1 Nicol David in Hong Kong. (image: Steve Cubbins/squashsite.co.uk)
Sobhy (R) in her second World Series semifinal against world No. 1 Nicol David in Hong Kong. (image: Steve Cubbins/squashsite.co.uk)

On the heels of reaching two Women’s Squash Association (WSA) World Series semifinals in August, Amanda Sobhy earned her highest career world ranking of ten in September’s WSA world rankings.

In reaching world No. 10, Sobhy becomes the first native-born U.S. citizen to crack the world’s top ten (former world No. 1 and 2013 U.S. Champion Natalie Grainger became a U.S. citizen in February 2007 while ranked world No. 6, and remained in the top ten until April 2010).

The twenty-one-year-old rising senior at Harvard made her WSA World Series semifinal debut ranked world No. 15 in the CIMB Malaysian Open, August 19-22, defeating recent world junior champion Habiba Mohamed in her quarterfinal before exiting the tournament against Egypt’s Nour El Tayeb in the semis.

One week later, Sobhy upset world No. 5 Camille Serme in the Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open quarterfinals to reach a second World Series semifinal where world No. 1 and eventual champion Nicol David eliminated the American.

After her sensational run in August, Sobhy returns to her studies at Harvard until competing in the Carol Weymuller Open and U.S. Open in October.

September top 20 (inc. points average):
1 [1] Nicol David MAS 3, 666
2 [2] Laura Massaro ENG 2, 310
3 [3] Raneem El Welily EGY 2, 030
4 [4] Joelle King NZL 1, 171
5 [5] Camille Serme FRA 1, 091
6 [6] Alison Waters ENG 1, 026
7 [7] Low Wee Wern MAS 970
8 [25] Nour El Tayeb EGY 944
9 [8] Nour El Sherbini EGY 906
10 [15] Amanda Sobhy USA 806
11 [9] Annie Au HKG 795
12 [10] Dipika Pallikal IND 750
13 [11] Madeline Perry IRL 691
14 [12] Omneya Abdel Kawy EGY 647
15 [14] Rachael Grinham AUS 619
16 [13] Jenny Duncalf ENG 591
17 [17] Sarah-Jane Perry ENG 570
18 [16] Kasey Brown AUS 509
19 [18] Sarah Kippax ENG 465
20 [20] Emma Beddoes ENG 463