Tennis: Tennis Ireland are having difficulty finalising arrangements for the Davis Cup Euro-African Group 11 semi-final against Croatia, writes Pat Roche.
The match was due to be played at the Fitzwilliam club from July 21st to 23rd but Croatia, powered by Goran Ivanisevic in the previous round against Latvia, have requested that the match be brought forward to the previous weekend (14th 15th and 16th). The request follows a mix-up in fixtures by the ITF and ATP.
Croatia's request arises following the realisation that an ATP Tour event, the International Championship of Croatia, had been fixed for the later July dates. Tennis Ireland's competition committee are now faced with a chaotic schedule for its domestic season. The Irish Close Championship, for example, would be affected by the proposed change of dates.
"For us to comply with the new dates would mean changes to our domestic calendar," says Tennis Ireland CEO Des Allen. "The matter is being dealt with by our competitions committee and the result of their deliberations is likely to be made known to the ITF within a couple of days."
It is understood that Ivanisevic is anxious to play in the tie, as is Croatia's next best player Ivan Lubbicic. Ireland have already avoided relegation by beating Luxembourg.
Meanwhile, the Leinster LTC and Mount Pleasant clubs have come to the rescue by making their facilities available to Tennis Ireland for the upcoming two weeks' play in the Futures ITF series, starting on May 29th.
Riverview, the usual venue for the series, is undergoing structural changes and the governing body are hugely grateful to the two south city clubs for "digging us out of a hole".
Boxing: Mike Tyson has stepped up the war of words with Lennox Lewis after being dismissed as a future opponent by Britain's WBC and IBF world heavyweight champion.
After beating Michael Grant in New York, Lewis dubbed Tyson "the Little Man" and suggested that the former undisputed champion was now more interested in a film career.
But Tyson, preparing for his bout with Lou Savarese on June 24th, has retaliated by throwing down the gauntlet to Lewis.
"Let's go - man to man. Me and Lewis - in the streets if he wants to. No bodyguards or anything.
"He can't beat me there and he can't beat me in the ring either. I'm coming at Lewis, I want this guy. And when it happens, I'll make sure he pays.
"I'll say this to Lennox Lewis - don't fight any more and hold your titles until I come after you," he said.
Tyson also hinted that he would still be the bigger draw if the bout takes places, hitting out at Lewis' poor viewing figures for the Grant fight.
"Lewis can't draw flies," added Tyson. "My worst pay-per-view figures tripled what Lewis got against Michael Grant."
Tennis: Jim Courier, who won four Grand Slam titles in the 1990s, has retired after a 13-year professional career. Courier (29), was ranked number one in the world for 58 weeks during the 1990s and was one of six men in the Open era to reach the finals of all four Grand Slams.
"I wouldn't trade anything for one more title, one more match won or lost," Courier told the USA Today newspaper. "I feel full."
Courier lost to Sweden's Thomas Enqvist in the second round of the Ericsson Open, his last tournament, on March 25th. His last title came in April 1998, when he beat Michael Chang in Orlando, Florida.
Courier, known for his baseball caps and powerful forehand, had his golden period in the early 1990s when he won the French Open in successive years and the Australia Open twice. He also reached the Wimbledon final in 1993 and the US Open final in 1991.
Courier often saved his most gritty performances for the Davis Cup and he had no time for players who preferred to rest rather than represent their country.
The US did not lose in 13 Cup ties in which Courier played until the 1999 second round defeat by Australia.
Anti-doping funds: Sports ministers from the 15 European Union nations meet in Lisbon today to decide what role the bloc should play in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and whether the EU should pay some of its running costs.
Funding for the controversial agency is already guaranteed from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) until the end of 2001. After that, the governments of countries which make up the agency have said they will provide half of the budget.
Sports ministers must decide whether the EU as a whole becomes a member - in which case some of the funding could come out of the EU's budget - or whether individual governments prefer to maintain national representation in the agency.