Long Island's Sobhy first U.S. world titlist in squash

At various points during her short but superlatively successful career, Amanda Sobhy has proved that she doesn't do things in halves.

She didn't just play squash well, she played it well enough to be ranked first in the girls USA under-19 division. And she didn't just win four tour titles; no, at 16, she became the youngest professional player to pull off such a feat. Sobhy was never just skilled. On Tuesday, she was groundbreaking.

The North Shore High School junior who lives in Sea Cliff defeated Nour El Tayeb of Egypt, 3-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7, to become the first U.S. player to win a world squash title in the modern era at the 2010 World Junior Women's Squash Championship in Cologne, Germany. (The modern era dates to the 1970s, when the sport changed to softer, rubber-based balls.)

"This is unprecedented," said Bill Buckingham, director of communications for U.S. Squash. "She's 36th in the women's professional tour and her future is unlimited."

Sobhy, who turned 17 the day she won the title, proved as much in the first semifinal, where she knocked off first-seeded reigning world champion Nour El Sherbini of Egypt in, 12-10, 14-12, 11-9. It was the second time in two tries that the third-seeded Sobhy defeated El Sherbini.

"I had to come out strong from the first point and show everyone that my win against her last year was no accident," Sobhy said in a statement on the tournament's website. "When I won, it felt like the finals. I couldn't help but cry . . . "

In the finals, Sobhy dropped the first game against El Tayeb before bouncing back to win in decisive fashion, clinching a world championship. "There was a period of time before the tournament when I didn't believe that I could win this," she said. "As the tournament came closer, I started believing in myself more."

Sobhy's world ranking should jump after this win. Nicol David of Malaysia, previously the youngest person to win four world tours, is ranked first in the Women's International Squash Players Association polls.

And, as Sobhy climbs the ranks, the sport's visibility also continues to rise, Buckingham said.

"It puts us on the map worldwide," he said. "The U.S. isn't a power in the squash world by any means, but people see that we can produce players like [Sobhy]."