Today's other sports stories in brief
Caldwell off to good start at school
GOLF:Jonathan Caldwell's bid to join his friend Rory McIlroy on the European Tour got off to a fine start in the opening round of the qualifying school final at PGA Golf de Catalunya near Girona.
The 24-year-old former Walker Cup player, who joined the professional ranks last week, reeled off four birdies on a inward half over the Red course to card a four-under 67 to share sixth place.
"Rory and myself are good pals and we still sometimes practise together back home when we get a chance," said Caldwell, who sits behind Sweden's Oskar Henningsson, who had a six-under 66 on the Green course.
There are three other Irish golfers competing. Former British amateur champion Michael Hoey is tied for 19th after a three-under 68 over the Red course, Simon Thornton was also three under after a 69 on the Green course, while Michael McGeady was two under on the Red course.
Jones to miss autumn Test
RUGBY:Duncan Jones has become the latest player to be ruled out of Wales' entire autumn Test series.
The 52 times-capped prop follows his Ospreys colleague Gavin Henson in missing the remaining November meetings with Canada (tonight), New Zealand and Australia. Jones (30) was not considered due to a foot injury.
South Africa's Ricky Januarie has replaced the injured Fourie du Preez at scrumhalf for tomorrow's Test against Scotland at Murrayfield. Du Preez injured a quadriceps muscle in training.
Du Preez drops out of the 22 altogether, while Januarie's place on the bench has been taken by utility forward Danie Rossouw in an otherwise unchanged line-up.
Davydenko in final four
TENNIS: Russia's Nikolay Davydenko is eyeing a Masters Cup semi-final meting with Andy Murray after securing his place in the last four in Shanghai with a straight-sets win over Juan Martin del Potro of .
Should Murray defeat Roger Federer today, which would eliminate the Swiss defending champion, Davydenko would face the British number one for a place in the final, while Djokovic would meet Gilles Simon.
Three Irish boxers have to settle for bronze
BOXING: IRELAND'S boxers had to settle for three bronze medals after semi-final disappointment at the 37th European Senior Championships at the Greenbank Academy in Liverpool last night.
Belfast middleweight Eamon O'Kane, St Michael's Athy light welterweight John Joe Joyce and Co Wicklow lightweight Ross Hickey all exited the tournament at the semi-final stage - but have the consolation of taking home bronze medals from Merseyside.
O'Kane exited following a 10-2 defeat to Russian middleweight Maxim Koptyakov after four hard-hitting rounds.
Earlier there was back-to-back disappointment for Ireland after Hickey lost 9-3 to Vazgen Safaryants of Belarus and Beijing Olympian Joyce went out following an 8-2 reversal to his great rival, Gyula Kate of Hungary.
