English favourite Simpson faced fast-rising fellow countryman Charles Sharpes. It was the pair's first Tour encounter - and underdog Sharpes, the 21-year-old world No66, twice levelled the match after leads established by world No29 Simpson.

But Guernsey-born Simpson held his nerve to close out the match 11-6, 7-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8 after 78 minutes.

"Scrapped out an 11/8 in the 5th win today," tweeted the top seed later. "Can't say I felt great on court but that's a lot down to the pressure Charles put me under."

El Shorbagy, the reigning world junior champion from Egypt, dropped the first game to unseeded Mexican opponentCesar Salazar.

But the 19-year-old from Alexandria, who had beaten Cesar's twin brother Arturo Salazar in the opening round, reasserted his authority on the match to go on to win 9-11, 11-3, 15-13, 11-4 in 58 minutes.

"Marwan took out both Salazars in one tournament," said a spokesman for the event. "Not an easy task."

El Shorbagy is celebrating his fifth final on the PSA Tour - but his first appearance in the climax of an event since the World Junior Championship final in Qatar last July.

Simpson is marking his seventh Tour final - and will be keen to extend his impressive unbeaten record in all the previous six!

RESULTS: PSA Challenger 15 Northern Ontario Championship, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

Semi-finals:
[1] Chris Simpson (ENG) bt Charles Sharpes (ENG) 11-6, 7-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8 (78m)
[2] Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 9-11, 11-3, 15-13, 11-4 (58m)

Top seeds Chris Simpson and Marwan El Shorbagy will contest the final of the Northern Ontario Championshipin Canada after surviving testing semi-finals in the PSA World Tour Challenger 15 squash event marking its fourth year at the Sudbury YMCA in Sudbury, Ontario.