Tennis: Favourites for an Irish tennis title rarely come as strong as Conor Niland of Limerick. The top seed in this week's Irish Open Junior Championships is streamrolling his way to tomorrow's final.
A change of scene from Limerick to Millfield School in England has seemingly worked wonders over the past year for the Irish prospect who is even more assured of the title because of the absence of reigning champion Stephen Nugent. In any event, Niland arrived at headquarters well primed with two ITF junior world ranking wins under his belt.
The top seeds latest display of power and confidence came in yesterday's brief encounter with Ulster interprovincial Nelson Boyle from Larne. Niland was again mercilessly proficient, this time reeling off the necessary 12 games in the shortest possible time.
It adds up to a formidable task for Brian Condren in today's semi-finals (12.30) but Condren showed timely form in reaching the semi-finals from the number five seeded position at the expense of third seeded Timo Barry of Celbridge. Barry won the first set but dropped his serve at the start of both the second and final sets.
Clontarf team-mates David O'Connell and James Colhoun who have yet to drop a set contest the other semi-final. Colhoun despatched the early surprise packet Donal Glennon also of Clontarf 62 6-3.
Unseeded Suzie Perkins of Greystones made the senior girls quarter-finals a more eventful affair by sending number three seed Anne Marie Hogan packing 7-6 76. She faces reigning champion Catherine Lynch in today's semi-finals.
Jane Hession of Limerick fell to Julie Thompson and Elsa O'Riain, the top seed and clear winner over Grace Comerford now faces Thompson.
Cycling: Timothy Aherne of Bray Wheelers won stage three of the Junior Tour at Dunboyne last evening but there were no changes at the top overall so Denis Lynch still leads his Ireland team-mate Willie Curtin by seven seconds going into the fourth stage at Stamullen this evening (6.30).
A group of 11 went ahead on the circuit at Summerhill and with seven of the 47 miles to go they were 30 seconds up but they were overhauled by the fast moving pack. Then just over a mile from the finish Kooymans sprinted ahead but Aherne got up to him and the young Bray man proved stronger in the final dash to the line with the main group closing.
Boxing: Lennox Lewis' heavyweight unification rematch with Evander Holyfield is close to being finalised. "It's now 90-10 that it will go ahead on November 13th, as planned," said Lewis' promoter Panos Eliades who, earlier this week, feared that the fight would not take place on the scheduled date.
Eliades doubts were triggered by the lack of contact with promoter Don King, but the deal got moving late on Monday, and the fight will be staged by the Hilton Casino in Las Vegas.
"King and I have managed to sort out nearly everything. He wants to do a deal and I think it will all be completed next week," added Eliades.
