Europeans next on agenda for Simpson

CHRIS SIMPSON amazed himself with the comprehensive nature in which he became the new British under-19 champion. Despite going into the tournament as the number one seed, the Sarnian admitted he was 'really surprised' not to drop a game throughout his five matches against high-quality opposition at the National Squash Centre in Manchester.

'I played out of my skin. I really could not have played too much better,' he said.

'On paper it was a really strong tournament. I was confident that I could win it but I went in knowing that if I was not playing my best squash I would not win it because their were four or five guys there who were in with a chance.'

After receiving a bye through the first round, Simpson began his campaign by whitewashing Scott Legg and then secured further straight-set victories over Joe Lee and Joel Hinds.

That set up a semi-final match with good friend Tom Richards.

'A couple of weeks ago we played each other and it went to five sets,' said Simpson, indicating the threat posed by Richards.

'I have played him about eight times already this season because as well as these tournaments we play in the same league and play at the same number in our teams.'

Richards had also not dropped a game in his first three matches and he kept Simpson on court for just two minutes short of an hour, but the Guernsey star ended a 9-3, 9-5, 9-4 winner.

In the bottom half of the draw, Leicestershire's James Wright had looked in equally dominant form in justifying his number two seeding to reach the final.

But Wright had knocked Simpson out at the semi-final stage of last year's tournament and the Sarnian was out for revenge.

'I had always beaten him before that match and then he beat me in a qualifying tournament for the World Championships a couple of months later. I had not played him since those two defeats,' Simpson said.

Simpson, 18 at the end of next month, will be out to retain the title next year but before then he has the European under-19s - both individual and team - in Sweden in a month's time.

'I will probably be seeded one in that but again there are six or seven people capable of winning it.'