Colombia claim mixed title
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad International Correspondent
After success in the women’s singles in the XVIII Pan American Games in Peru, USA added two further squash gold medals to its Lima haul after title triumphs in both the Men’s and Women’s Doubles events.
US women’s No.1 Amanda Sobhy added to her personal gold collection by partnering her younger sister Sabrina Sobhy to a straight games victory in the women’s doubles final at the Villa Deportiva Nacional Videna in the Peruvian capital.
The top-seeded Sobhy siblings successfully retained the title won four years ago in Toronto by Amanda and former world No.1 Natalie Grainger when they beat Canadian pair Samantha Cornett and Danielle Letourneau 11-10, 11-8 in 24 minutes.
Sobhy senior later told her Twitter followers: “Gold medal with the sis in the women’s doubles! Bringing this one home to the Sobhy household!”
USA then struck gold in the Men’s Doubles when Chris Hanson and Todd Harrity recovered from a game down to overcome Canadians Shawn Delierre and Nick Sachvie 6-11, 11-5, 11-8 in 46 minutes.
The 3/4 seeded US pair made their breakthrough in the semi-finals where they despatched the second-seeded hosts’ Diego Elias & Alonso Escudero in straight games.
“Yesterday was historic for Team USA squash doubles,” said Paul Assaiante, the Ganek Family US Squash Head National Coach. “It brought us goosebumps to see our men and women on top of the podium over the likes of Canada, Mexico and Peru.
“Amanda and Sabrina had to come back from 6-1 in the first game of the final and the second game was tight point by point, but they were able to pull out another doubles gold for the U.S,” Assaiante said.
“The men were another story. Do you believe in miracles? Canada jumped all over Todd and Chris in the first game. There simply didn’t seem to be any holes in their armour, but Todd and Chris picked up the pace and effectively took away their shot-making.”
Colombia claimed their first squash gold medal of the 2019 Games when Catalina Pelaez and Miguel Rodriguez justified their top-seeding in the Mixed Doubles by seeing off Diana Garcia and Alfredo Avila 11-10, 11-4 in the final.
The unseeded Mexican pairing claimed their surprise place in the final with successive victories over the No.2 seeds from Argentina and US duo Olivia Blatchford Clyne and Andrew Douglas, one of the 3/4 seeds, in the semi-finals.
XVIII Pan American Games Squash Championship, Lima, Peru.
Men’s Doubles Semi-Finals:
[5/8] Shawn Delierre & Nick Sachvie (CAN) bt [1] Arturo Salazar & Cesar Salazar (MEX) 9-11, 11-7, 11-5 (55m)
[3/4] Chris Hanson & Todd Harrity (USA) bt [2] Diego Elias & Alonso Escudero (PER) 11-8, 11-8 (37m)
Final:
[3/4] Chris Hanson & Todd Harrity (USA) bt [5/8] Shawn Delierre & Nick Sachvie (CAN) 6-11, 11-5, 11-8 (46m)
Women’s Doubles Semi-Finals:
[1] Amanda Sobhy & Sabrina Sobhy (USA) bt [3/4] Giselle Delgado & Anita Pinto (CHI) 11-5, 11-3 (13m)
[3/4] Samantha Cornett & Danielle Letourneau (CAN) bt [2] Laura Tovar & Maria Tovar (COL)
Final:
[1] Amanda Sobhy & Sabrina Sobhy (USA) bt [3/4] Samantha Cornett & Danielle Letourneau (CAN) 11-10, 11-8 (24m)
Mixed Doubles Semi-Finals:
[1] Catalina Pelaez & Miguel Rodriguez (COL) bt [3/4] Hollie Naughton & Andrew Schnell (CAN) 11-10, 11-5 (28m)
Diana Garcia & Alfredo Avila (MEX) bt [3/4] Olivia Blatchford Clyne & Andrew Douglas (USA) 11-6, 11-5 (19m)
Final:
[1] Catalina Pelaez & Miguel Rodriguez (COL) bt Diana Garcia & Alfredo Avila (MEX) 11-10, 11-4 (35m)
Pictures courtesy of WSF