[2] Nouran Gohar (Egy) 3-0 [9/16] Amanda Sobhy (Usa) 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 (35m)
If Amanda had moments of brillance, putting Nouran under a lot of pressure, the rest of the time was a bit one-sided, with Nouran at the front, and Amanda at the back.
One funny moment: 9/4 for Nouran at the end of the second, a no let for Nouran is overuled by the video ref to a let.
“Miss Sobhy, it’s because you stepped into Miss Gohar’s line that we give it a let”. And Amanda with a big smile: “I have been away for 9 months, I’m doing the best I can here”…
Yes, tomorrow, it will be 9 months that Amanda tore his second hamstring in Hong Kong (against Hania if I remember well). 9months. When you think you will never play again to face the World Champion on a glass court in Cairo, of all place, with lovely cool conditions – 33° and windy.
One word: Chapeau.
Amanda : Trying to figure out my brain, with the heat and her pace. This is what I wanted to see where I am at.
Tomorrow will be 9 months exactly (December 3rd 2023) is when I raptured my second one in Hk. It’s been a vast come back. I’m very proud of myself [tears], these are happy tears, to just be at this point.
When I did it, I thought, am I going to come back? Who comes back from one, let alone who comes back from two.
So this is what I wanted, see when I am at. From the outside, my shot selections and my movement look slower, my mind, I thought I was just hanging in by a thread with that pace but it’s going to happen, I’m going to assess when I’m at, I know the level I need to get back to, and keep working.
We’ve got a long season ahead, and I’m going to keep chipping away, and I know it’s going to keep coming back because I’ve got a lot of miles in the legs, a lot of experience, so I’m just grooved to be back, honestly.
Gohar
As you were saying it’s an outdoor court, the first time ever for us to play even though it’s the same court at the World Championship that’s the last one we played on this court but it’s still very different it plays very different
Obviously a player like the calibre of Amanda coming back from injury obviously it’s very impressive I don’t think many people can do this It shows the mentality obviously And I like playing opponents like this It fires me up It brings the best out of me I think I didn’t really know what to expect in terms of player and in terms of court and usually you expect one thing or the other but this time it was all the unexpected and I had to be unexpected and it’s the first tournament of the season you don’t really know how you’re going to play.
Playing in practice matches is entirely different than a tournament so it was the unknown today…
I had a very hectic summer to be honest in a nice way So obviously I was very very busy since March I had all my eyes on the World Championship obviously so I was only doing squash. So obviously during the off-season I tried to catch up on my social life a bit check my phone and see who’s still going to talk to me
So I went to the beach with some friends and then my husband was competing at the Olympics so I went to Paris for a few days and then I went back to Cairo to train a bit with, so I had a bit of summer training here in Egypt which is great obviously with all the players around and you can play tons of matches but again I think I’m not really thinking about last season It’s a chapter and it ended and now it’s a new start.
So I can’t take anything for granted I’m working very hard for every match and I’m keeping the same mentality of 1 point at a time one match at a time And then if I come up the winner at the end it’s great On to the next one
