STEPHEN TAYLOR bead George McGill in the major shock, so far, of the Heineken sponsored East of Ireland Open tennis championships at the Lansdowne Club last evening.

Any notion that Taylor, who is still a junior, would be tentative against a former Irish junior champion who embarks on a US scholarship next month was dispelled almost from the outset.

A deserving straight sets - 7-6 6-4 - win for the Sutton player should do his confidence a lot of good in next week's Irish under 18 Open in Fitzwilliam.

Reigning Irish Open champion, Omah Rashid, who plays Davis Cup for Pakistan, went through to the quarter finals in straight sets at the expense of Kevin Dolan. Also through are Britain's Simon Crabtree, seeded two, John Doran, Joe Green and James Pringle.