Hong Kong Squash Open: Paul Coll stuns Ali Farag again in epic final after disaster strikes Amanda Sobhy
- American Sobhy in tears after being forced to retire injured during women’s final, handing defending champion Hania El Hammamy another title
- World No 1 Ali Farag again denied in Hong Kong, losing the men’s final in the city for a third time
Amanda Sobhy was in tears as the American was helped off court when injury forced her to retire during the women’s final at the Hong Kong Squash Open in West Kowloon on Sunday.
The 30-year-old New Yorker was trailing 6-5 in the opening game in her final with defending champion Hania El Hammamy when the match had to be stopped after Sobhy fell on to the court in visible pain.
An official from the Professional Squash Association confirmed that Sobhy had ruptured her right Achilles during play at the Xiqu Centre.
“It looked very serious,” the official said. “From the looks of it, it was a complete rupture.”
The official added that Sobhy was expected to depart Hong Kong early on Monday morning and jet back to New York to consult her doctor.
Ranked No 5 in the world, Sobhy had previously ruptured her left Achilles, in 2017, sidelining the Harvard graduate – who went unbeaten in 62 matches in her college career – for the next 10 months before she returned to action at the Tournament of Champions.
On Saturday, Sobhy had downed Egyptian world No 1 Nour El Sherbini in straight games in their semi-final.
The American said after that match that she had played “my best squash ever” and suggested she would extend her career in the hope of competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
