11th-Ranked Amanda Sobhy Looking Forward to US Open from Tour Media
photo PSA
6TH OCT 2015
- Amanda Sobhy is brimming with excitement ahead of the upcoming
Delaware Investments US Open and is hoping to get off to a good start
when the event begins on Saturday October 10.
The charismatic 22-year-old claimed silverware at the NetSuite Open
last week with a win over Sarah-Jane Perry in the final and she is set
to face off against the Englishwoman in the opening round of the first
PSA World Series event of the season.
“I'm very excited about the US Open this year,” said the World No 11.
“Unfortunately I had to miss out on it last year but to be coming back
this year for what is the biggest US event and being the top ranked US
player is a great feeling so hopefully I can go out there and play
well.”
Sobhy, who is unseeded for the event, missed out on last year's
tournament due to university commitments but was part of the 2013 event
which became the first PSA World Series event to feature equal prize
money for both the men and the women, something which she enjoys being
a part of.
“US Squash has been doing some great things in recent years, especially
getting parity between the men and the women and it feels great to be
involved in that movement,” she said.
After completing a degree in social anthropology at Harvard University,
Sobhy turned her attention to the PSA World Tour in a full time
capacity which culminated in last week's sensational display in San
Francisco.
Sobhy says that, while her life as a professional is markedly different
from her university days, she is enjoying being able to focus on her
career.
“A lot of people have told me that I should expect to watch my ranking
plummet now that I’m a full-time pro and it’s my job but I’m trying not
to think about it,” New York-born Sobhy said.
“I’m just going out and trying to enjoy playing a full season without
worrying about school or homework. I’m not putting any extra pressure
on myself and I’m just trying to do my best in each tournament. Now
that I’m not in school I have more time to train.
“I used to maybe train a couple of hours a day for five days a week but
with exams and classes and papers it was kind of all over the place.
Now I can focus on having a really set structure and programme that I
can track and it’s such a nice feeling to be able to focus fully on my
game instead of cramming it all in.”
