[2] Nour ElSherbini (EGY) 3-0 [10] Amanda Sobhy (USA) 11-9, 11-6, 11-5 (29m)
I know that Amanda had a head cold as we were comparing the number of used Kleenex we accumulate in our respective rooms! Air condition very cold inside, 41° outside, not a nice combination for non Egyptian people!
Still, I was impressed by Amanda’s first game, just fresh from the traditional court; she could have been a little off, but not at all. She had a strong finish of the opener, 9/8, but Nour felt the danger and quickly closed down, 11/9.
The next two games saw Nour way in front while Amanda was only able to score points from way down the line, 7/2 in the second game, then 7/0 in the third game, match ball, 10/2, finally bowing 11/5.
Amanda : With her, if you don’t get the first game, she goes up like that and you go down like that…
Every game I was behind, by the time I manage to string some points, I was like 7/0 down. There is no real competition.
Well, tricky conditions, a bit under the weather, but above all, she is 8 time world champion for a reason…
This morning, I told you “what’s the worse that can happen, that she can chop me in 25m? Well, it just happened. It happened tonight, it happened before, and it probably will happen again…
Hopefully I can do better the next time.
Nour : “It’s definitely tough mentally, of course, against Amanda. She always gives me tough matches, and she’s one of the players I always struggle against. I’m definitely happy that I won in three and happy that I made it into the quarter-finals. I’m looking forward to the next one.
“Salma has done amazing this tournament. She’s beaten some top players. I’m definitely happy to see her back playing this type of squash. Salma and I know each other very well; we’ve grown up playing together in the same club, so we definitely know each other’s games very well. Hopefully, it’s going to be a good one.”
