WORLD number one Nick Matthew lies between Chris Simpson and a place in the National Championships semi-finals.

Guernseyman Simpson has achieved what he had set out to do this week in Manchester, living up to his seventh seeding and reaching the quarter-finals thanks to his second straight-sets win of the week last night against Charles Sharpes.

He will now take to the glass court tomorrow night against the top-ranked player in the world.

‘I’m looking forward to it,’ Simpson said.

‘I played him in the same tournament last year and played really well. I still lost 3-0, but they were tight games.’