After a close opening game Amanda Sobhy enjoyed her long-awaited return to the Pyramids
[4] Amanda Sobhy (Usa) 3-0 [7] Salma Hany (Egy) 12-10, 11-3, 11-2 (27m)
A very good first game from the Black Ball champion, 14 m of hard work and seesaw battle, forcing a tie-break but finally bowing 12/10. But the hard work produced in that first game seemed to take its toll on the Egyptian legs – in particular the immaculate forehand attacking boasts that Amanda managed to get into an fine art…
The Egyptian will be disappointed but the American will be satisfied with her first performance on the glass for 5 years. It was perfect really.
Amanda : I think it was honestly a battle against the wind more than my opponent, I was just trying to adapt and figure out where the wind would take the ball, which corners were dead, what direction the wind was going. I think I figured it out pretty well, which I’m happy about. It was really dead out there, if you got it into the back corners, it kind of died. I fully took advantage of that and kind of ran with it. I’m really pleased to have won in three and stayed fresh, because I don’t have any more rest days.
It’s crazy to be playing in front of the Pyramids. It’s been five years and I haven’t had much luck in the last few years here, but this year I’m turning it around and finally get to play on the glass and it’s amazing. It’s just a really spectacular venue and the fact that I haven’t been here in five years, it’s a long time. So to finally have made it is something really special and I’m just trying to enjoy every moment.
