RESULTS: METROsquash US Open, Chicago, USA
Semi-finals:
[8] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Manuela Manetta (ITA) 11-3, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9
[2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [5] Line Hansen (DEN) 11-5, 11-5, 11-0
New York teenager Amanda Sobhy has claimed another entry in Squash history books after beating Italian Manuela Manetta in the semi-finals of the METROsquash Women's US Open to become the youngest player ever to reach the final of her country's longest established tournament.
The 17-year-old eighth seed, who beat Ireland's No4 seed Aisling Blake in the quarter-finals, despatched unseeded Manetta 11-3, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9 to reach the final of the $36,500 WISPA World Tour event at Millennium Park in Chicago.
Sobhy established an impressive record in May when she became the first 16-year-old to win four WISPA Tour titles. Three months later, the left-hander became one of the youngest winners of the Women's World Junior (U19) crown.
In the other Chicago semi, experienced Dutch star Vanessa Atkinson, a former world number one and world champion, crushed fifth-seeded Dane Line Hansen 11-5, 11-5, 11-0 to reach the 39th Tour final of her career.
After her match, Sobhy said it was amazing to be in the US Squash Open final. "She had been pumped up by the large crowd support," said event spokesman Phil Yarrow. "She will face a tough test against Vanessa Atkinson in tomorrow's final. But she certainly will have the crowd cheering her on."