More sports news in brief.
Federer bows out at first hurdle
TENNIS:The end of Roger Federer's long reign as world number one moved closer when he suffered a shock second-round defeat by Frenchman Gilles Simon at the Toronto Masters.
Back on court for the first time since his epic loss to Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon final, Federer was beaten 2-6 7-5 6-4 and his ranking is now under serious threat from Nadal who beat American qualifier Jesse Levine 6-4 6-2.
It was the first time Federer had lost his opening match in a tournament since falling to Briton Andy Murray in Dubai in March.
Leaney sets butterfly record
SWIMMING:Conor Leaney set a Irish junior record for the 50 metres butterfly at the national youth and senior long course championships at the NAC yesterday.
Leaney came home second in a new junior best of 25.23 behind fellow Ulsterman Steven McQuillan who clocked 25.16. Leaney returned to the pool to help his City of Belfast team to a Irish record in the 4x100 metres relay.
The Belfast quartet touched for gold in 3:33.77, smashing the previous best of 3:36.35 set by Larne ASC two years ago. Olympian Aisling Cooney warmed up for Beijing with a comfortable victory in the 200 metres backstroke, in 2:7.60.
Perry bows out of Malaysian Open
SQUASH:Despite a spirited fight-back in the third game, Madeline Perry, the womens' Irish number one squash player, went out in the first round of the Malaysian Open Squash Championships in Kuala Lumpur.
Perry, currently world ranked 15, had won her place in the main draw after coming through qualifying, and lost 11-4, 11-7, 13-11 to English player Laura Lengthorn-Massaro. World number one and home favourite Nicol David had no problems against Rebecca Chui (Hong Kong) taking 20 minutes to win 11-5, 11-5, 13-11.
Iraq's athletes out in the cold
OLYMPIC GAMES:Iraq cannot take part in the Beijing Olympics because it disbanded the country's Olympic Committee although a comment from the IOC, which organises the Games, suggested the ban may not be final.
Iraq's government disbanded the committee in May because of a dispute over how it had been assembled. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had given Iraq a deadline to reinstate the body, but the government has refused to back down. Iraq had planned to send a small team despite violence that has killed more than 100 athletes in the country since the 2003 invasion.
Ashton accepts consultant role
RUGBY:Brian Ashton has accepted a consultant role with the Rugby Football Union, three months after being dropped as England national team coach.
Ashton will provide the RFU with a range of "high-level performance consultancy services", the organisation said in a news release.
Ashton, who turned down the role of head coach of the national academy when he left the England team on April 16th, said he decided to take his new post after setting up his own company to advise sports and business organisations.
Macken back in action
EQUESTRIAN:Eddie Macken, returning to the Irish squad after a 10-year absence, will be the first member of the team to jump in this afternoon's Samsung Super League at Hickstead. writes Margie McLoone
The Canada-based rider and Tedechine Sept will be followed by Capt David O'Brien (Mo Chroi), Cian O'Connor (Rancorrado) and Denis Lynch who rides Nabab's Son this weekend as his top mount Lantinus is in quarantine for the Olympic Games. Ireland have been drawn sixth of the eight teams in this British round of the series and, with just two legs remaining, a good result is vital.
Yesterday O'Connor and Rancorrado finished sixth in the show's opening jump-off event behind Britain's Guy Williams and Two Ramiro while Shane Breen (Royal Concorde) and Mark Kyle (Drunken Disorderly) took fourth and fifth slots in the popular eventing Grand Prix which went to the Gary Parsonage-ridden Peter Street.
