Simpson steps up to 'big boys'

THREE of the island's top squash juniors travel to Manchester this weekend to take part in the Junior British Closed. Chris Simpson is competing for the first time in the under-19 section and Sam Shields and Henry Birch are playing in the under-15s.

Simpson, who has moved up an age group, is seeded 5-8 and is one of the youngest competitors in this competition. At 15, he will be taking on national players almost two years older.

That said, he should not have any trouble in the first round.

In the second round he will almost certainly come up against unseeded player Gareth Arthur, who is also Welsh number four.

Simpson is expected to win this match and should then play Jethro Binns, Welsh number two and a 9-16 seed.

Assuming Simpson makes it through to the quarter-finals, he will need to step up a gear in order to beat Toby Mortimer, the 3-4 seed and England number three.

'It is going to be pretty tough for him,' said Gareth Webber, director of island squash.

'Chris is up against some high-calibre players, the majority of whom have a couple of years on him. It is his goal to make it through to the final but it will be a tough task.

'He is playing very well and has shown in the past that he is able to step up a gear and use his head when it matters.'

Sam Shields, 14, is unseeded and will meet number 5-8 seed, Scott Gledhill from Essex.

Should he win this match, he will tgo on to play Joe Lee, seeded 17-32, whom he beat in the Lee-on-Solent Open last year.

'Over the last two months, Sam has put in a lot of work and is consequently playing really well. He certainly has a chance to perform this year,' said Webber.

Henry Birch is also unseeded and has drawn in the first round seeded player Alistair Mutch. If Birch wins this game, he will then take on a 17-32 seeded player Ashley Owen.