SPORTS DIGEST:TENNIS: RAFAEL NADAL rubber-stamped his grasscourt credentials when he sneaked past Serbia's Novak Djokovic 7-6 7-5 to win his first Artois Championship at Queen's Club in London yesterday.
The top seed became the first Spanish man to capture a title on turf since Andres Gimeno walked away with the Eastbourne trophy in 1972.
With just over a week to go before Wimbledon begins on June 23rd, the victory will provide Nadal with yet another boost as he aims to improve on his two runner-up finishes at the All England Club in 2006 and 2007.
"This week was amazing for me. Winning this final for me was amazing," Nadal said after he became the first player since Ilie Nastase in 1973 to win the French Open and Queen's titles in successive weeks.
Seven days after Nadal had demolished the opposition to capture his fourth successive French Open crown, he proved that his grasscourt skills could be just as devastating.
"I now have titles on all surfaces, so I am now a more complete player than I was a week ago," grinned Nadal after extending his winning streak to 17 matches.
Lynch and Lantinus take seventh in Champions' tour
EQUESTRIAN: DENIS LYNCH picked up €10,000 for his seventh-place finish with Lantinus in Saturday night's third leg of the Global Champions' tour in Cannes, writes Margie McLoone.
Only two riders managed zero scores over the two rounds, with Germany's Meredith Michaels-Beerbaun and the great Shutterfly proving faster than the Australian representatives, Edwina Alexander and Isovlas Itot du Chateau, in the jump-off to secure the €100,000 first prize.
At the five-star show in Naples, Mayo-born Cameron Hanley had some good placings over the weekend, finishing second twice and fourth once on Siec Livello and second and sixth on Siec Livello's stable-companion Siec Royal Star.
In Roeser, Luxembourg, Ivan Dalton took fifth in yesterday's Grand Prix on Corcovada.
Only two competitors got through to the jump-off, where the Netherlands' Pascal Uytendaal saw off the German challenger Hans-Guntger Klein riding Cassius Clay. With the next two in the line-up on a single time penalty following round one, Dalton was the fastest of those with four faults.
On the show-jumping scene at home, young David Blake saw off 15 others who got through to the jump-off stage to land the latest round of the ShowjumpingIreland national Grand Prix league on the 10-year-old Crannagh Hero gelding Killard Horizon.
Irish boats emerge on top at Cowes event
SAILING: IRISH BOATS emerged on top at the annual British IRC National Championships at Cowes yesterday but in a possible indication of a tough regatta ahead, the opposing Commodore's Cup teams competing at this warm-up event proved able for the challenge, writes David Branigan.
Howth Yacht Club's David Nixon provided a welcome result in taking the overall RORC trophy, with Roy Dickson's Corby 36-footer Rosie. Conor and Denise Phelan's Jump Juice from the Royal Cork YC took second overall.
The Solent was in fickle form for the final yesterday after racing was delayed until after midday when light winds mixed with strong tides forced multiple restarts and black flag penalties. Ireland will field two three-boat teams for the biennial Rolex Commodore's Cup that begins racing two weeks from today, with Ireland again highly-rated for the third consecutive event for a victory that has proven highly elusive.
Meanwhile, at the Olympic Council of Ireland's Howth head-quarters on Saturday, the appeal against the Irish Sailing Association's selection of Peter O'Leary and Stephen Milne for the sole Star class place at the Beijing Games took a marathon 12-hours to hear all the evidence. A ruling is expected later this week.
Irish teams finish in fourth place
HOCKEY: With Ireland's training schedules at completely opposite ends of the spectrum to their visiting opponents coming fourth in both the men's and women's Setanta Trophy was probably not unexpected at Belfield over the weekend. Ireland's focus was completely different as they look to reassess and rebuild their squads ahead of the 2009 European Championships.
Ireland's women finished with a 2-1 defeat to South Africa where they competed well but were unable to take their chances. Britain won the overall competition with an impressive 4-1 win over one of the favourites for the Olympic crown, Germany. In the men's competition, Ireland completed their series of matches with a 2-1 defeat against Britain.
