Sobhy top seed in NetSuite Open in San Francisco
By NATHAN CLARKE
Fresh from a record-breaking Pan American Games campaign in which she became the first player ever to win three squash gold medals during one tournament, America’s number one squash player Amanda Sobhy will be aiming to continue her rich vein of form when she tops the draw at the 2015 NetSuite Open, PSA W25 tournament.
The competition, which will run alongside the men’s NetSuite Open for the first time ever, gets under way on Friday September 25 at the Bay Club, San Francisco, where Sobhy, the first American women to break into the world top ten, will be a hot favourite to lift her 14th PSA Tour title – but she will face stiff competition from some of the best players from Europe and the Middle East.
Sobhy’s main challengers will be English World No.12 Sarah-Jane Perry and India’s Dipikia Pallikal, the World No.18, in a compelling draw that looks certain to ensure the inaugural women’s NetSuite Open will deliver high-drama and enthralling action throughout.
“We are delighted to be introducing a women’s event to run in conjunction with the now established men’s event in what we feel is a very important move for the NetSuite Open and for squash here in the United States,” said tournament promoter John Nimick.
“Developing equal playing opportunities for both men and women is a huge goal across the sport and we’re thrilled with the strength of field that we have attracted to our debut women’s tournament in what promises to be a very competitive competition.
“To have players such as Amanda Sobhy, who has the potential to be a leading global force within squash and pave the way for a new generation of American players, competing here in September is something that we are all looking forward to.”
2015 NetSuite Open, San Francisco, USA: PSA W25.
Entry List (Seed, Name, Nationality, Ranking)
1) Amanda Sobhy (USA) [10]
2) Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) [12]
3) Dipika Pallikal (IND) [18]
4) Habiba Mohamed (EGY) [19]
5) Victoria Lust (ENG) [22]
6) Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) [24]
7) Line Hansen (DEN) [28]
8) Tesni Evans (WAL) [29]
9) Samantha Teran (MEX) [30]
10) Siyoli Waters (RSA) [31]
11) Kanzy El Defrawy (EGY) [36]
WC) Reyna Pacheco (USA) [116]
The 2015 NetSuite Open women’s division takes place at Bay Club San Francisco and at Justin Herman Plaza South Lawn, with tickets for the tournament priced at $20 and available for purchase by visiting http://netsuiteopensquash.tix.com
Picture courtesy of PSA and ToC