RESULTS: Women's World Junior Squash Championship, Cologne, Germany
Final:
[3] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt [4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 3-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 (37m)
Third place play-off:
[2] Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt [1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 4-11, 11-4, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8 (52m)
Amanda Sobhy celebrated the perfect 17th birthday by beating Egyptian rival Nour El Tayeb in the final of the Women's World Junior Squash Championship to become the first US winner of the prestigious World Squash Federation event in its 16th year at the ACR Sportcenter in Cologne, Germany.
"It's the best birthday present anyone could ever ask for," said the New York teenager after recovering from a game down to defeat fellow 17-year-old El Tayeb 3-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 in 37 minutes. It was Sobhy's first victory over the Egyptian in four meetings on the junior international circuit since January 2008.
The victory not only ends Egypt's seven-year stranglehold on the title since 2003, but also consigned Cairo-based El Tayeb to a runner-up finish for the second year in a row.
Third seed Sobhy made her breakthrough in the semi-finals when she beat reigning champion Nour El Sherbini, the 14-year-old favourite who won the title last year to become the sport's youngest ever world champion.
Sobhy, whose success makes her the first US player to win a world singles title, is no stranger to historic achievements in the sport: In May, the left-hander became the first 16-year-old to win four WISPA World Tour titles – an achievement which has taken her to a career-high 36 world ranking.
In the bronze medal play-off match, India's No2 seed Dipika Pallikal made up for the disappointment of failing to make the final for the second successive year by battling to a 4-11, 11-4, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8 over favourite Nour El Sherbini in 52 minutes.