USA’s Sobhy and Mendez off to Winning Start at Cleveland Classic

Round one of the Cleveland Classic 2022 got underway yesterday from the Cleveland Racquet Club in Ohio as home hopes Sabrina Sobhy and Haley Mendez both got their tournaments off to a winning start.

Sobhy and Mendez both claimed respective 3-0 wins over wildcard Caroline Fouts and Switzerland’s Nadia Pfister to give the Cleveland crowd something to cheer about on day one at the PSA World Tour Bronze event. Those wins mean that Sobhy will face Wales’ Tesni Evans in the next round, while Mendez will come up against No.2 seed India’s Joshna Chinappa for a place in the quarter finals.

All eight 9/16 seeds made it through to the second round. One of the most dangerous of those eight is Aifa Azman from Malaysia.

Elsewhere, Malaysian Open Champion Aifa Azman defeated Ineta Mackevica from Latvia 3-0 in just 22 minutes to book her second round slot. She has set up what is likely to be an entertaining clash with USA’s Olivia Fiechter.

Azman wasn’t the only Malaysian to progress as Rachel Arnold also claimed a round one victory over Tessa Ter Sluis from the Netherlands by an 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 margin in just 21 minutes. Arnold will now face home favourite Olivia Clyne in the second round.

Egyptians Zeina Mickawy and Mariam Metwally, both from Egypt, were successful in round one also enjoyed success on day one in Cleveland. Mickawy beat Canada’s Nicole Bunyan in a tight 3-0, 11-9, 11-6, 14-12 in 28 minutes. Whilst Metwally wasted no time defeating Cristina Gomez from Spain 3-0 in just 21 minutes. Metwally now faces compatriot and No.6 seed Nadine Shahin in round two, while Mickawy faces No.1 seed Sarah-Jane Perry.

England’s Jasmine Hutton lost the opening game in her match against Egypt’s Menna Nasser 11-7, but was able to quickly recover and find her form to take the next three games 11-8, 11-1, 11-3 to advance to round two. Waiting for Hutton in round two is talented Belgian Tinne Gilis. More English interest in round two comes from No.7 seed Georgina Kennedy. She will be looking as she looks to carry on her incredible 2021 form, that ended in her reaching the semi-finals of the CIB Squash Open Black Ball. She will face France’s Enora Villard who beat Anna Serme from the Czech Republic in round one.

You can watch the action live here .

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2022 Cleveland Classic: first round results

Haley Mendez (USA) bt Nadia Pfister (SUI) 3-0: 11-9, 11-7, 11-8 (23m)
Mariam Metwally (EGY) bt Cristina Gomez (ESP) 3-0: 11-2, 11-5, 11-6 (21m)
Enora Villard (FRA) bt Anna Serme (CZE) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-2 (30m)
Aifa Azman (MAS) bt Ineta Mackevica (LAT) 3-0: 11-1, 11-5, 11-8 (22m)
Rachel Arnold (MAS) bt Tessa ter Sluis (NED) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 (21m)
Jasmine Hutton (ENG) bt Menna Nasser (EGY) 3-1: 7-11, 11-8, 11-1, 11-3 (29m)
Sabrina Sobhy (USA) bt [WC] Caroline Fouts (USA) 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 14-12
[9/16] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Nicole Bunyan (CAN) 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 14-12 (28m)

2022 Cleveland Classic Draw

[2] Joshna Chinappa (IND) v Haley Mendez (USA)
Mariam Metwally (EGY) v [6] Nadine Shahin (EGY)
[7] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) v Enora Villard (FRA)
Aifa Azman (MAS) v [3] Olivia Fiechter (USA)
[4] Olivia Clyne (USA) v Rachel Arnold (MAS)
Jasmine Hutton (ENG) v [8] Tinne Gilis (BEL) [Bye]
[5] Tesni Evans (WAL) v Sabrina Sobhy (USA)
Zeina Mickawy (EGY) v [1] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)