Chris into main draw

Friday 26th September 2008, 2:30PM BST.

CHRIS SIMPSON’S remarkable return to squash is still going strong.

Having been plagued by injury last season, Simpson (pictured) has followed up his first PSA Tour title from his opening event of the new season, the Taiwan Open, to make the main draw of the four-star Merritt Properties Open in Baltimore.

Yesterday he beat Ireland’s John Rooney in his qualifying final 7-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-4.

‘I played a really good game and am happy with the result as he beat me this time last year in the British Open and had beaten a higher ranked player the day before,’ Simpson said.

The 21-year-old’s reward is a first round match against the number seven seed Omar Mosaad from Egypt, who is ranked number 21 in the world.