Sports Digest

GOLF: Lee Westwood insists he is not "pulling his hair out" at missing this week's Players - but the same could not be said …

GOLF:Lee Westwood insists he is not "pulling his hair out" at missing this week's Players - but the same could not be said of his putting as he contests the inaugural Valle Romano Open de Andalucia in Marbella, where the first prize fund is "just" €166,600.

The world number 63 will start as one of the favourites to claim a 17th European Tour victory - and first since 2003 - but the sloping greens at Aloha Golf Club will provide a massive test for his shaky short game.

"My golf's not bad, from tee to green I've been very solid, I'm just struggling to get the ball in the hole," said Westwood.

He is joined by Ryder Cup team-mate Paul McGinley, while Damien McGrane and David Higgins are also in the field.

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DAVIS CUP TENNIS:Ireland, captained by former Davis Cup player Seán Sorensen for the first time, won their opening match against Lithuania in their Europe/Africa Group 3 Davis Cup event in Cairo yesterday, reports Johnny Watterson. Ireland was drawn in pool A along with the Lithuanians, Bosnia/Herzegovina & Moldova. Pool B contains Turkey, Egypt, Iceland & San Marino, with the first two teams from each pool advancing to another round-robin group.

Conor Niland won his first game against Ricardas Berankis in two sets, the first a tight 7-6 (5) before and easy 6-0 second earned him the rubber. Louk Sorensen also had an easy time of it when he won the first set 6-0 before sweeping to a second 6-2.

The teams finishing first and second in this "promotion" pool are promoted to Europe/Africa Zone Group II in 2008.

WOMEN'S TENNIS:World number two Maria Sharapova has pulled out of next week's Italian Open through injury, casting doubt on her place at this month's French Open. The 20-year-old Russian has a shoulder injury and has not played since losing to Serena Williams in Miami in March.

AMERICA'S CUP SAILING:Emirates Team New Zealand snatched first place from BMW Oracle to finish top of the rankings at the end of the round robin stages of the Louis Vuitton Cup yesterday.

Top spot earned Team New Zealand the honour of choosing which boat they race off against in the semi-finals, which start on Monday.

BOXING:World lightweight and European champion Katie Taylor advanced from the preliminary rounds of the Ahmet Comet Cup in Turkey last night after beating Elena Saveleva in Istanbul.

Taylor (20), from the St Fergal's club in Bray, cruised past the Russian on the 15-point rule in round two (22-7).

Meanwhile, Peter Brady (Poleglass) and Seán Duffy (Keady) bowed out of the President Cup in Azerbaijan at the preliminary round stage.

Brady was beaten by Britain's Rob Wright (27-8), and Duffy lost out 16-6 to Jalolbek Havizov from Uzbekistan.

The Irish senior team will be in the ring today in the Chemistry Cup in Halle, eastern Germany.