Tennis: The growing perception is that Ireland's women's team will be playing for an Olympic Games wild card in next week's Federation Cup qualifier in Estoril, Portugal, writes Pat Roche.

A good performance in the 24-nation Euro African group 11 would help enhance Ireland's chance of taking the sole Irish wild card in Sydney

And when world rankings are taken into account the women's team, with three members currently inside the world's top 500, have better credentials for Olympic recognition than the men.

Team captain Peter Lowther believes that the women's team has a better chance of getting the wild card allocated to Tennis Ireland because "interest among the world's best men's players will be greater this time round with ATP points on offer." The non-playing team captain, who has been in charge of the women's team for almost 10 years, concedes that the preparation has not been as good as last year. This has been unavoidable however because of injuries. Yvonne Doyle has only just returned to competitive play due an ankle injury and Karen Nugent has been forced out with illness.

Cork teenager Elsa O Riain has been named in the senior Ireland squad for the first time. O Riain is the current junior and senior Irish indoor champion and is a fine prospect.

Motor Sport: Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone fears a quality gulf between the wealthy and poorer teams in motor racing.

"My concern is that if the teams slip behind with their technology or engines or something and suddenly three or four teams are not competitive, that's not good," he was quoted as saying in yesterday's Autosport magazine.

"You don't want six good teams and six teams that really and truly aren't competitive.

"It's no good if the manufacturers come in, which is super, and then three or four teams get left behind. We've got to urge the manufacturers perhaps to help a little bit in supplying engines," said Ecclestone.

Rugby Union: Defending champions Fiji will look to sevens wizard Waisale Serevi as they attempt to flush a new-look New Zealand "down the drain" at the Hong Kong Sevens.

Fresh from romping to victory at the sevens tournaments in Malaysia and Australia, the men from the South Pacific kick off the world-famous 24-team tournament today as overwhelming favourites.

This weekend's tournament is the eighth leg of the International Rugby Board's inaugural international sevens circuit.