CHRIS SIMPSON pushed the top seed all the way but could not progress beyond the quarter-finals of the KIG squash Open in Los Angeles over the weekend.

Tarek Momen won in four against the eighth seeded Guernseyman, including two extra-point games, to prevail in a match that could have gone either way at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

When the Egyptian raced into a 6-1 lead in the opening game, the indications were that the Sarnian could get blown away in double-quick time by the 21-year-old who recently caused a huge upset in beating Australian legend David Palmer at the World Open.

However, Simpson (pictured) fought back strongly to push Momen to the edge in rally after rally throughout the match.

The Sarnian actually managed to take the opener, but it was the Egyptian on top again in the second, with Simpson apparently suffering a problem with his foot towards the end of the game.

Not that it hampered him for long, though, as he took charge of the third and earned three game balls at 10-7.

Crucially, though, all three went begging – three tins, two of which would have been winning drops.