Olivia Blatchford and Sabrina Sobhy both recorded victories in Sunday’s first round of $150, 000 Allam British Open women’s qualifying to earn a place in Monday’s qualifying finals in Hull, England.
Sobhy, world No. 51, was amongst the first to play Sunday morning, and won her opener 11-5, 8-11, 11-1, 11-5 in thirty-four minutes over England’s Jessica Davis.
In a repeat of last month’s Paderborn Open semifinal against England’s Fiona Moverley, Blatchford recovered from losing the first game 7-11, to win the forty-three-minute match in four games 14-12, 11-4, 11-7.
Both Sobhy, seeded fourteenth, and Blatchford, seeded tenth, will face higher seeds in Monday’s qualifying finals. Sobhy will face Japan’s world No. 37 Misaki Kobayashi, and Blatchford will take on South Africa’s world No. 33 Siyoli Waters.
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