With some aplomb, USA’s Amanda Sobhy dispatched top seed and World No.2 Nouran Gohar in straight games and cotinued using her phone gesture routine to reach the semi-final of the QTerminals Qatar Classic.
Gohar looked well set to take the lead after starting quickly and earning four game balls at 10-6.
The American – who had lost her last nine matches against the Egyptian – responded emphatically, scoring six consecutive points to stun Gohar.
Hanging up the phone seems to be working, so I’m gunna keep rolling with it 😂😂 📞☎️💁🏽♀️ https://t.co/hOnjE1awhf
— Amanda Sobhy (@itssobhytime) September 13, 2023
The World No.5 picked up where she left off in game two, attacking confidently to double her lead with an 11-9 win before sealing a remarkable victory with an emphatic 11-1 win in the third game.
Afterwards, Sobhy said: “I’m not afraid anymore. I want to play her because it gives me that much more confidence going in against her.
“I was excited to know that I was going to face again here in Qatar after last week in Paris.”
Sobhy will face No.3 seed Hania El Hammamy after the Egyptian recorded a 3-1 win over England’s Georgina Kennedy.
The other semi-final will be contested by unseeded Belgian Tinne Gilis and World No.1 Nour El Sherbini of Egypt.
Gilis, who came 0-2 down to No.4 seed Joelle King in the third round, performed another escape as she battled back from a game down to beat Egypt’s Salma Hany and reach her first Platinum semi-final.
El Sherbini, meanwhile, looked imperious as she overcame Tinne’s sister Nele Gilis 3-1, with an 11-0 win in game one setting the tone.
In the men’s event, round three concluded with all the players from the bottom half of the draw in action.
In a thrilling five-game encounter, defending champion Mohamed ElShorbagy of England fought back from a game down to beat Egypt’s Youssef Ibrahim in 81 minutes.
The former World No.1 will take on Mazen Hesham in tomorrow’s quarter-final after the No.6 seed beat Aly Abou Eleinen in an all-Egyptian clash.
Elsewhere, No.2 seed and 2021 champion Diego Elias of Peru beat Egypt’s Youssef Soliman 3-0 and 2016 champion Karim Abdel Gawad beat Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller 3-1.
Results: QTerminals Qatar Classic Women’s Quarter-Final
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt [1] Nouran Gohar (EGY) 3-0: 12-10, 11-9, 11-1 (32m)[3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt [8] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) 3-1: 11-1, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10 (49m)
Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt Salma Hany (EGY) 3-1: 6-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 (57m)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt [6] Nele Gilis (BEL) 3-1: 11-0, 11-4, 8-11, 11-6 (46m)
Results: QTerminals Qatar Classic Men’s Round Three (Bottom Half)
[3] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bt Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) 3-2 6-11, 11-6, 16-14, 8-11, 11-7 (81m)[6] Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-2, 11-6 (33m)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 3-1: 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9 (43m)
[2] Diego Elias (PER) bt Youssef Soliman (EGY) 3-0: 11-3, 11-2, 11-5 (38m)
Draw: QTerminals Qatar Classic Women’s Semi-Final – to be played 14 September
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) v [3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
Tinne Gilis (BEL) v [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Draw: QTerminals Qatar Classic Men’s Quarter-Final – to be played 14 September
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v [8] Tarek Momen (EGY)
Greg Lobban (SCO) v Joel Makin (WAL)[3] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) v [6] Mazen Hesham (EGY)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v [2] Diego Elias (PER)