USA duo Sabrina Sobhy and Todd Harrity claimed wins on home soil as the 2022 Windy City Open Presented by the Walter Family got under way today at the University Club of Chicago.
World No.24 Sobhy has equalled her best ever finish at the PSA World Tour Platinum event after the 25-year-old got the better of Australian wildcard Sarah Cardwell, winning 11-3, 11-5, 11-3 in just 19 minutes to set up a second round encounter with Belgium’s Tinne Gilis.
“It’s pretty important, but just to play well is more important, and to have a good opponent and to have fans is also very important,” said Sobhy.
“I am happy that I won in three, and I am happy that I accomplished all those other things, so I am pleased with how it went. I am very happy with how the first couple of tournaments [in 2022] have gone. It was definitely a confidence boost, but it was also quite exhausting.
“It is a weird balance of feeling good from the past couple of wins and coming into this tournament with a little lower energy than maybe if I didn't play these past events, but that is part of the journey and learning experience, to progress and to keep getting stronger with each game. We’ll see how this week goes.”
The day’s biggest upset in the women’s event saw England’s World No.67 Julianne Courtice come back from a game down to get the better of Welsh World No.18 Emily Whitlock.
Whitlock started the better of the two as she stormed out of blocks and lifted the ball well to move her opponent off the ’T’, but Courtice’s response was impressive as she stormed back to take a 2-1 lead. In the second rally of the fourth game, Whitlock suffered an injury after chasing down a boast. Following a length break for treatment, the 28-year-old returned to court but her movement wasn’t the same as Courtice closed out the win in four.
“Unfortunately, she had a fall and I hope that she feels better and gets recovery for it,” said Courtice afterwards.
“It is never nice to win a match like that, but I am also happy to get through. It has been a really hard time, I have had a few knocks, I got COVID and have really struggled to get back from there. Since Christmas, though, I really feel like I have made a U-turn and I am on the way back up.”
Courtice will play World No.1 and defending champion Nour El Sherbini in the second round, while the likes of Danielle Letourneau, Nada Abbas and Lucy Turmel also secured wins on day one.
