Sport

Taylor trims Tanner's conqueror

Talented Dubliner Conor Taylor won the most competitive match played so far in the men's Irish Open championships at Templeogue…

By PAT ROCHE
Fri Aug 31 2001 - 01:00

Talented Dubliner Conor Taylor won the most competitive match played so far in the men's Irish Open championships at Templeogue last night. Victory in three sets over James Colhoun took two and a half hours.

Colhoun's tournament high point had been his win over Roscoe Tanner the night before. So, with this notable achievement behind him, what was the difference playing a local contemporary, seeded number six?

Colhoun replied succinctly: "Roscoe missed a lot, while Conor gave me nothing."

Taylor and Colhoun traded their best shots mainly out of the forehand court in what proved an absorbing encounter of well-plotted rallies and clever subtlety.

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It added to the intriguing nature of the struggle when Taylor, serving for the match at 5-4 in the final set, was broken to love.

Taylor, whose brother Stephen was ousted by touring South African Vaughan Synman, closed it down 7-4 in the final set tie-break for a 6-1 2-6 7-6 win. Taylor now plays top seed John Doran in tonight's semi-finals.

Snyman, a winner of an ITF Futures event in Alabama since losing at the semi-final stage here last year, produced quality returns that inspired his 7-6 6-2 win over Stephen Taylor.

Barry King earned plus marks for shot selection and good winners while going down to Doran 6-2 6-3. Touring Australian Luke Bourgeois was far too powerful for Kevin Noble and claimed his semi-final place 6-0 6-1.

The Leinster Open women's final will be decided between Cork's Elsa O'Riain and top seed Karen Nugent. They had respective straight sets wins over Galina Misiuriova and Lisa O'Shea.

Men's Open quarter-finals: J Doran bt B King 6-2 6-3, L Bourgeois bt K Noble 6-0 6-1, V Snyman bt S Taylor 7-6 6-2, C Taylor bt J Colhoun 6-1 2-6 7-6. Doubles semi-finals: L Bourgeois and V Snyman bt S Dawson and R Tanner 6-2 6-1; O Casey and J Doran bt S Taylor and C Taylor 7-5 6-2.

Women's Leinster championships, semi-finals: K Nugent bt L O'Shea 6-1 6-2; E O'Riain bt G Misiuriova 6-1 6-1. Doubles: C Finucane and A Leonard bt S McIntyre and L O'Reilly 6-4 6-4; AM Hogan and C Nugent bt E McLoughlin and S Perkins 6-0 6-2.