[3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 3-2 [5] Amanda Sobhy (USA) 11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-3 (55m)
Ok, I thought Amanda would kick everybody’s butt this week. She was a bit short physically, and in the 5th, got entirely outplayed by a change of tactic from the Gazelle. But she really gave Hania a good run for her money for sure.
First game, neck to neck up to 7/7, 8/8. Last three points for the Gazelle in 11m 11/8. But the second is all about the American. Showing how tough she now is, not afraid to stick in the rallies, she goes up 4/2, 4/4, 8/4, 9/5, 11/6 in 11m again.
What a battle this is! 👀@itssobhytime & @HaniaaElHammamy are going all out to reach the @BlackBallSquash final! 🏆
📺 Watch on https://t.co/ZZPqYX01Pw pic.twitter.com/gINaoZxoJ3
— PSA World Tour (@PSAWorldTour) March 6, 2023
In the third Hania didn’t put a foot wrong, not a single error, and only one from Amanda, who will put Hania under a heck of pressure in the following game! If Hania was comfy to begin with in that third, 8/4, 10/5, she started to make “pressure errors” and only just sneaked the game 11/9.
Another good game that one, 10m, 7 winners each…
What happened in the 4th? No idea. I only know that Amanda looked royal – which for an American is rather expected – dominating the game completely, looking as impressive as she’s been all week, 6/1, 8/3, 10/4, 11/6.
Complete reverse in the 5th. Hania didn’t want to tell me what she changed in her tactic. Whatever she did, it worked! 7/0, 8/2, 11/3. Last two games are a mystery to me.
🗣 “I’m not very pleased with the way I played but I’m definitely happy to be able to fight and get through it even when it wasn’t my best day."@HaniaaElHammamy gives us her verdict 👇 pic.twitter.com/r6XYbF4m8y
— PSA World Tour (@PSAWorldTour) March 6, 2023
Amanda (on Twitter)
Not quite enough vs Hania tonight but proud of my squash all week💪🏽💪🏽 Considering I literally couldn’t even bend or rotate a little over a month ago without feeling like a 90-year-old due to my back seizing up, I’ve come a long way!🤌🏽 I’M BACK BABY! (Literally & figuratively) 😂
Hania
“I’m not very pleased with the way I played but I’m definitely happy to be able to fight and get through it even when it wasn’t my best day. All credit to her, she’s been playing really well all week and I think she was really good tactically as well, so I had to adapt in each game. In every game, I was trying to do something different because she was throwing everything at me.
In the 4th, I was unable to change my tactic in the middle of the game, sometimes you don’t see things clear enough. But at the end of that game, my coach Omar Abdel Aziz told me what I needed to change, and it made the difference in the 5th.
“It’s always a tough match against Nouran. She’s the World No.1 and is very experienced. I need to be ready and focused for tomorrow.”
