Harrogate Open: Simpson Rolls Back the Years, Harris Beats Haworth

Chris Simpson rolled back the years to reach the semi-finals of the Harrogate Open, beating top seed Abdelrahman Abdelkhalek and then Scotland’s Rory Richmond on day two. 

The former World No.20 retired in 2019 but stepped back onto court as a late replacement in his hometown this week, and will now play No.5 seed Jared Carter for a spot in the final. 

The other semi-final will see the No.2 and No.3 seeds face off, as Jonah Bryant takes on New Zealand’s Joel Arscott. 

Bryant spent less than an hour on court across his two matches on day two, sweeping aside Pakistan’s Muhammad Farhan in round two before beating No.8 seed John Meehan in the quarter-finals. 

Arscott, meanwhile, needed 52 minutes to win his quarter-final alone, coming through in five games against Martin Ross. Arscott dropped only five points in the first two games before losing the two that followed, then clinching a close game five 11-9 to reach the last four. 

There was also a 52-minute, five-game thriller in the women’s quarter-finals, where Asia Harris and Amelie Haworth went toe-to-toe. 

Harris and Haworth are among the most talented rising stars in the sport and their matchup didn’t disappoint, with No.1 seed Harris eventually edging things, winning the fifth 11-5 to reach the semi-finals. 

There, Harris will play in-form Egyptian Nour Megahed, who is targeting a second successive title after winning the Aston and Fincher Sutton Coldfield International last week. 

The 18-year-old is also seeking a second win in three weeks over Harris, having won 3-0 when the pair met at The Northern Joe Cup a fortnight ago. 

The second women’s semi-final will see Scotland’s Ellie Jones compete in her first PSA Tour semi-final. 

The No.7 seed will face second seed Kiera Marshall, who is looking to reach a fifth Tour final as she continues her quest for a maiden title. 

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You can see a full breakdown of all the results here.