Mixed Fortunes For American Hopes As NetSuite Open Gets Underway from PSA Media
photo PSA
September 27, 2018
There
were mixed fortunes for America’s two top ranked female squash players
Amanda Sobhy and Olivia Blatchford in the first round of the 2018
Oracle NetSuite Open as the PSA World Tour event got underway today in
San Francisco.
Sobhy, the highest ranked American-born female player of all-time, was
in scintillating form as she romped to a straight-games victory over
Australia’s former World No.1 Rachael Grinham.
The 25-year-old, who missed most of the 2017-18 season after rupturing
her achilles tendon, played with aggression from the outset and
utilised her full attacking arsenal to secure an 11-5, 11-4, 11-4 win
after just 22 minutes of play.
“I’ve worked really hard this summer and had a good training block to
work on the issues that developed after the injury and on any
imbalances in my movement,” said Sobhy, who will now face number three
seed Camille Serme of France in the second round.
“Rachael in incredibly tricky to play and hits some incredible shots,
so I’m just happy to get a decent performance in and get that first
win. I’ve played a few team events in the last month but its a
completely different vibe at a major event so I’m happy to get that
first one out of the way.
“I’m exited to play Camille tomorrow. I’m the underdog now and have no
pressure on me but I want to go out there and prove that I belong on
this stage. I want to get my ranking back to where it was before the
injury and I’ll have the home crowd, and some friends, behind me so
there’s even more incentive to win.”
Blatchford, who, following injury to Sobhy, has overtaken her as the US
No.1, however fell to a 3-1 defeat to Frenchwoman Aumard on a day that
also saw Milou van der Heijden, Donna Lobban, Fiona Moverley, Salma
Hany, Hollie Naughton and Nadine Shahin book their places in the second
round.
In the men’s event the opening round featured a compelling all-French
battle between Mathieu Castagnet and Lucas Serme which went the way of
Castagnet after 63-minutes of compelling, attritional squash.
The opening game alone lasted 20 minutes as the pair probed for
openings before the more experienced Castagnet struck the first blow as
he sneaked the opening game. The 31-year-old then doubled his lead
courtesy of an equally tight second game and while Serme struck back to
take a comfortable third, Castagnet regrouped to take control in the
fourth game and complete the win.
“I’ve had a lot of injuries over the past few years so I’m just
enjoying being on court and I’m trying to have fun out there as much as
possible,” said Castagnet.
“We are friends but we both train very hard every day to win matches so
we have to go on there and do a job. It’s a nightmare to play someone
you know very well, but I’m just happy to have won and be in the next
round, which I’m excited about.”
Egyptian Karim Ali Fathi prevailed in arguably the match of the day as
he outlasted Mexican Cesar Salazar in a 68-minute five-game thriller,
coming back from 6-3 down in the decisive fifth to clinch a second
round berth where he will take on Germany’s Simon Rösner.
“I lost in my first tournament of the season in Pakistan before I came
here so I was a bit nervous at the beginning,” said Fathi.
“I was trying to give it everything I’ve got. I was chasing everything
and that got to his head, and I think that’s how I won. Sometimes you
just have to throw tactics out the window and fight for everything. We
were both tired and breathing hard at the end but I guess it went my
way this time.”
England’s former World No.1 James Willstrop was amongst the other
winners on the opening day as he beat Scoland’s Alan Clyne 3-0 with
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi, Saurav Ghosal, Ryan Cuskelly, Gregoire Marche
and Mazen Hesham also triumphing.
Results - Women’s 2018 Oracle NetSuite Open: Round One
Milou van der Heijden (NED) bt Millie Tomlinson (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-9, 11-5 (25m)
