Hong Kong Squash Open: Sabrina Sobhy secures memorable win over sister in first round
Top seed Hania El Hammamy receives bye to second round after her opponent fails to show, while men’s holder Mostafa Asal enjoys smooth start
American siblings Amanda and Sabrina Sobhy battled it out in the first round of the Hong Kong Squash Open on Monday, with Sabrina Sobhy recording her first professional victory against her older sister.
Sabrina Sobhy, 28, twice fought back from behind to edge past her sister, who is four years older, in a thrilling match that lasted 54 minutes, claiming a “huge” 9-11, 14-12, 8-11, 12-10, 11-6 win.
“Still in a little bit of disbelief, it was a very emotional match for me. I mean, [I am] incredibly happy,” she said. “I’ve never beaten her in a legitimate tournament in probably 10-plus years, so I’m just [letting it] settle in.
“I feel like I was down and out a little bit in the third and fourth [games]. I just really pulled it together and didn’t want to go home. So I was happy with that.”
The memorable win for Sabrina Sobhy came six weeks after she lost to her sister in the second round of the US Open, when she threw away a one-game lead to lose 3-1.
“I’m actually pleased that we played earlier in the season. I felt like there was much less noise being here in Hong Kong – Mum’s really like, there’s not much hype,” she said. “We obviously had the draw well in advance, so we knew what was expected and had a bit more time to prepare.