Four for Four: Unbeaten Sobhy Claims Fourth Consecutive National Championship

UPDATED: March 2, 2015, at 8:00 p.m.

The Harvard women’s squash team (13-1, 6-1 CSA) sent three players to the CSA Individual Championships this weekend at Princeton's Jadwin Squash Courts. In the end, one came out a national champion.

Senior Amanda Sobhy, the top-ranked player in the country, became the second player in tournament history to win four straight Ramsay Cup titles. The only other person to achieve the same feat was the woman whom the cup is named after, Gail Ramsay, who won the title four times at Penn State from 1977-1980.

“There was a lot of stress put on me,” Sobhy said. “I tried not to think about it too much, and I just told myself to go out there and enjoy my game and treat it like any other match.”

Sobhy, who finishes her collegiate career without a single loss, wrapped up the season with a 10-0 record in team competition, never losing a single game in any of those matches.

That would change in the individual finals, but Sobhy did not let it phase her.

The senior faced off against Trinity junior Kanzy El-Defrawy for the third time this season in the championship match. In their previous two meetings, Sobhy had swept El-Defrawy. This time around, though, El-Defrawy took the first game, 11-9, after the pair traded leads multiple times. This was the only game Sobhy lost in the match—and the only game in her tournament run.

“I think I performed alright given how nervous I was,” Sobhy said. “Kanzy played the best she has ever played against me, so she made me work really hard the entire match. As the match progressed though, I think I got stronger and more relaxed.”

Sobhy started off the second match behind, trailing, 5-4. From there, though, she went on a 4-0 run and went on to win the game, 11-6. She commanded the next game, never relinquishing her early lead, and won, 11-6.

The fourth game started out close, but Sobhy broke away in the middle of the game to take the lead. She only gave up one point after taking the lead, winning the game, 11-5, thus putting the cap on her historic career.

The first game of the semifinals against Princeton rookie Olivia Fietcher also proved to be challenging for Sobhy. In it, the senior battled to a 11-9 win. The four-time reigning champion did not allow the second and third matches to be so close, definitively winning the next two games, 11-2, 11-3. Paired with an earlier win over Penn sophomore Anaka Alankamony in the quarterfinals, Saturday's performance propelled Sobhy into the final round for the fourth consecutive year, providing her the chance to become the second player in history to win four titles.

On Friday, Sobhy finished with two wins. She defeated Yale freshman Jennifer Davis in a sweep in the Round of 32. She only dropped three points in the match, winning all three games by a score of 11-1.

Sobhy also had a sweep against Bulldog senior Shihui Mao later in the day in the Round of 16. She took the first two games by a wide margin, 11-5, 11-4. The last game was longer, but Sobhy topped Mao, 11-7.

“I loved my collegiate experience and being on that team aspect and I think my game has definitely matured over the past four years.” Sobhy said. “I'm looking forward to what the future has in store for me on the pro tour.”

Freshman Alyssa Mehta and junior Michelle Gemmell, who amassed a combined 23-4 record in team play, also vied for the Ramsay Cup over the weekend. Sobhy, however, was the only one of the three Crimson competitors to advance to the quarterfinals.

“I was a bit nervous, but after such a successful season with my team, I felt confident,” Mehta said.

—Staff writer Katherine H. Scott can be reached at katherinescott@college.harvard.edu.