TENNIS:The Irish itinerary of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) at the Brookfield Club in Palmerston Park threw up a surprise result when the number eight seed, Myles Kasiri of Britain, was beaten tamely by Switzerland's Alexander Sadecky, writes Pat Roche.

The Swiss player's game has rapidly improved over the past number of weeks and the British player was unable to cope before succumbing 6-1 6-1.

Ireland's Conor Niland, who is ranked among the world's 300s, is seeded at two for a possible final meeting against Australian Adam Feeney in Saturday's decider.

Niland opens his campaign against Matthew Smith of Britain today.

BOXING:Conor Ahern and St Michael's Athy team-mates Eric Donovan and John Joe Joyce got Ireland's European Union Championships campaign off to a flying start with victories over England's Stewart Langley, Denmark's Osama Hadafi, and Rmya Evans of Wales at the National Stadium in Dublin yesterday.

Langley was ahead by one point going into the final 10 seconds of an untidy but explosive 51kg decider with Ahern which was the first bout of the 2007 tournament.

But Ahern, from the Baldoyle club in Dublin, landed two solid rights to claim the four-rounder by a margin of one point (20-19). Ahern was ahead 6-3 and 12-10 at the end of rounds one and two.

However, Langley - who Ahern has already beaten in a Four Nation competition - was ahead 15-14 at the end of the third and appeared poised for victory until Ahern's late surge.

Ahern will now meet Bulgaria's Salim Salimov in the quarter-finals tomorrow and is just one fight away from landing at least a bronze.

Donovan will now meet world bronze medallist Italian Domenico Valentino in the quarter-finals. Valentino is going for his fourth gold on the trot at this level.

Joyce will meet Hungarian Gyula Kate in the quarter-finals.

Scotland's Darren Traynor staged the comeback of the day, Trailing by nine points at the end of the second against Croatian Ahmeti Mirsad, he stormed back to win 28-27.