Tennis/Irish Open Indoor Championships: Despite going down to their respective opposition, there was a large supply of effort to each of the defeated quarter-finalists' games at yesterday's David Lloyd Irish Open Indoor championships at Riverview yesterday.

Colin O'Brien pushed the more experienced Davis Cup player Conor Niland to the brink.

After winning the first set 6-4, Niland was in a position to put the match to bed in the 12th game of a labour intensive second set.

Niland progressed to a semi-final date today against top seed Matthew Smith, who beat young Irish prospect David O'Connell 6-4 6-2.

Eoin Heavey, the number six seed, encountered a few anxious moments before surviving a worthy challenge from Fiachra Lennon.

Heavey will be pleased with a 6-3 6-3 win which puts him in the path of Nathan Rooney in the semi-finals.

Yvonne Doyle was pushed to three sets by Georgie Hingley, who bravely kept the match alive after losing the first set 2-6.

Welsh entry Rebecca Llewellyn has dropped only one game en route to the semi-finals. She again scored a convincing win, this time over Jenny Claffey.

MEN'S SINGLES: quarter finals - C Niland bt C O'Brien 6-4 7-5; E Heavey bt F Lennon 6-3 6-3; M Smith bt D O'Connell 6-4 6-2. N Rooney bt J Cluskey 6-3 7-6.

WOMEN'S SINGLES: quarter finals - R Llewellyn bt J Claffey 6-0 6-0; Y Doyle bt G Hingley 6-2 3-6 6-1; G Misiuriova bt N Coveney 6-1 6-3; R Dillon bt A M Hogan 6-7 6-3 6-4.