DailySquashReport.com

US Women To Be Without Amanda Sobhy At World Teams In France, CPCT's Grainger To Play
from DailySquashReport.com

Amanda Sobhy, Natalie Grainger

September 20, 2012 - The US team will be without #1 American Amanda Sobhy at the November 12th-17th Women's World Team Championships in Nimes, France.

Sobhy, a Harvard University sophomore, is the current US women's national champion and is ranked #20 in the world by the WSA.
Amanda defeated World #4 Jenny Duncalf of England in reaching the quarters of last month's Australian Open.

Heading the 2012 US Team will be former World #1 Natalie Grainger.

Natalie is retired from professional competition and is currently the Director of Squash at the newly-opened Chelsea Piers Connecticut.

She was runner-up to Sobhy in the March US Nationals.

During the course of her career, Grainger won 23 WISPA tour titles and 5 US national championships, and held the world #1 ranking in June 2003. She has been involved with several US teams as both player and coach, and previously represented her native England and South Africa.

Rounding out the US women's lineup will be 15-year-old Sabrina Sobhy of New York, currently world-ranked #77, and 24-year-old Kristen Lange of Seattle, currently ranked #67.

The fourth and final team member will be determined by a playoff, to be held this weekend at Chelsea Piers.

Contending for the final spot will be Maria Ubina, Cece Cortes, Lily Lorentzen and Olivia Fiechter.

“We could not be more proud of Natalie,” said Mollie Marcoux, Executive Director, Chelsea Piers Connecticut.  “Natalie has been at the top of the women’s game for many years and we are thrilled to have her at the helm of our brand new state of the art squash club. She has helped shape our vision and will help create one of the most dynamic amateur squash programs, for preschoolers through adults, in the country. It is rare to find an internationally ranked athlete who is also a highly talented coach and visionary.”

The Grainger announcement comes as CPCT completes its professional staff (see the pertinent Dailysquashreport.com article). 

John Burke has been named to assist Grainger in managing, developing and running the program.  Burke played at Dartmouth in the early 90's.

Grainger also announced the addition of Supreet Singh to her coaching staff.  Singh, a former member of the Indian Junior National team, played on four national championship teams at Trinity and was captain his senior year. He has coached at Avon Old Farms prep school for the past 2 years.

Additionally, Karim Yehia, an Egyptian native who ranked as high as 73rd on the Professional Squash Association’s (PSA) men’s pro circuit, has joined the staff.  Yehia has previously taught at the New York Athletic Club and the Plainfield Country Club.

Grainger has also added Olivia Blatchford to her roster. Current WSA No. 74 Blatchford, who will not be participating in the upcoming World Team Championships in Europe this autumn, reached the US Nationals final in 2011 and played on the junior team that finished second at the 2011 World Junior Teams.

“I have spent much of my life around squash both playing and coaching,” said Natalie. “The opportunity presented to me to work on the construction of a dream squash facility that will help grow the game throughout the region, giving access to schools, junior players, adult programming and national and international tournaments, has been a thrilling experience.  I am really proud of the talented coaching staff we have attracted to this outstanding facility.”