Chris Simpson won the Men's Jericho Open in Canada in November

Guernsey's Chris Simpson will face reigning world champion Amr Shabana on the opening day of the World Open.

The 23-year-old faces a first round clash against Shabana, Egypt's former world number one and four-time world champion, in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

"Shabana has been my favourite player to watch on tour since I turned pro," Simpson told BBC Guernsey.

"I'm quite relaxed about the match. I just want to play well and see how I compare to such a great player."

The PSA World Tour event involves 64 players from 23 countries, competing for a prize fund of $327,000.

The tournament will be the first time that the World Open has been held in Saudi Arabia in its 32-year history.

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