QF: [6] Amanda Sobhy (Usa) 3-2 [3] Camille Serme (Fra) 12-14, 11-4, 15-13, 9-11, 11-7 (66m)
What a match – and what a performance from Amanda Sobhy as she beats Camille Serme in five …
A superb battle, Camille finally bowing 11/7 in the 5th, after leading in the third game 10/4, and having had 8 game balls… For somebody that was not “affutée physiquement” as she said in French “sharp enough physically”, I think her coach and her will be very happy with the way things turned out.
First, it’s official, Miss Sobhy Senior can actually win an over an hour squash match. The world is now her oyster.
Second, if Cam was a bit short physically courtesy of a PRP treatment a few weeks ago, Amanda was the full Monty bless her. Only in the fifth she started to go to the serve box with her Harlem Walk – slowy, with nonchalance…
More seriously, what a mental performance from the American today. Seriously accurate squash, covering more ground I ever saw her cover on a consistent basis, the racquet between the teeth, especially in the 3rd game….
In the first game, Camille didn’t find it easy to close the game, she needed three game balls and had to save one from her opponent as well.
Bit flat in the second after the effort of the first 19m game, the Frenchwoman showed a bit of physical frailty pretty uncharacteristic for her… 7m, 10/3, 11/4. Not an error in the first game for the American, 6 for Cam 3 + 3.
The French lady seemed to have found her thrive in the third, seriously in control, 10-4 within seconds. Amanda going for it, supported by the Egyptian crowd who loves a good come back. 9 game balls later, 4 errors from Cam and it’s as often Amanda that takes it on her first attempt, 15m game, 15/13, 10 winners for Amanda, 11 for Camille….
Camille, looking very tired, fighting for her live in the 4th, 5/1, 6/2, 8/5, Amanda gets back in front, 8/8. Another huge push from the Panthère, and finally an error of Amanda on game ball 10/9 bless her, 11/9 in 9m. 10 winners Cam, 9 Amanda.
The last game is all about Amanda, Camille flat as a crêpe, 10/3 match ball. A huge push “pour l’honneur” from The Panthère, but it’s still Amanda 11/7, a superb match, with Camille showing her class and elegance by smiling throughout till the end.
Camille: As we said with Philippe, the idea is for me to approach events with a more relaxed attitude, which I managed to have today. I was enjoying the battle, it was a true physical and tactical battle, and each point, I was trying to analyse what I did wrong to amend it and make it better.
It’s never pleasant to lose a match, but I enjoyed it truly. As I told you yesterday, I’m not as fit as I normally am as I couldn’t prepare as well because of the PRP treatments a few weeks ago, so at times, a bit short physically and lacking a bit of clarity in my reasoning and shot selection.
But she played very well, and when you see Hania beaten by Joelle 3/0, you see the depth of the game…
🗣 "Mentally and physically I'm in a good place, so I was really excited to go out there and show what I'm capable of."
We caught up with a very happy @itssobhytime after her EPIC @BlackBallSquash battle with @CamilleSerme 😄#BlackBallOpen pic.twitter.com/Kj8oXnnL14
— PSA World Tour (@PSAWorldTour) March 16, 2021
Amanda: “With whatever brain cells are left I’ll try and form a sentence,”
“Wow – how long was that? That’s the first time I’ve won a match over the 60 minute mark, so let’s go.
“I’ve been training really hard and mentally and physically I’m in a good place and so, I was actually really excited to go out there and show what I am capable of. I have a pretty bad record versus Camille, she got me on the physical part but I’ve been working really hard on it and I knew I could hang in there this time. If I was going to lose, I knew it was going to be because she beat me playing better, I didn’t want to lose because I was tired.
“I can’t believe I won that third game. It was just such a battle the whole time, I was telling myself to trust the work I’ve put in and go for it. I would have been disappointed in myself if I held back, especially in that third game and I thought ‘go and be fearless’. I enjoyed it, even though I feel like my legs are cramping up now.
“I have seven match balls, I was contemplating wanting to win on something flashy but then she started rallying back and I was like ‘no, we’re not having a revered third game’. So I thought I needed to play solid squash and just get the next point. She played some really good points at the end but I’m so glad I snuck it out at the end. It was an awesome match.”
