THE defining feature, so far, in the Pamela Scott sponsored Irish Open Indoor tennis championships at Riverview, is the healthy state of the domestic game among the younger set.

There would seem to be no shortage of promising talent and the signs were particularly encouraging as James Colhoun and Gary Kilduff fashioned impressive wins to reach the third round. Colhoun, whose obvious attributes are complemented by great bursts of energy around the court, saw off the challenge of John Paul Kavanagh in straight sets 6-4 6-4.

Coached by Owen Casey's brother Paul, the young St Paul's, Raheny, player generates power and accuracy off the ground that belies his teenage years. His service returns were a constant worry for Kavanagh, who was crucially broken in the seventh and ninth games of the first and second sets.

The final point for Colhoun in this, his best win to date, was quite typical, a brush-away net volley after Kavanagh could do little with a deep approach.

Gary Kilduff is a Blackrock College student who intends qualifying for a US scholarship next year. His strategy was generally correct - notably when attacking Ciaran Dolan's excellent back-hand slice.

The first set was tense and close and remained so up to 4-4 in the tie-break. Dolan looked good when attaining the first minibreak for 5-4 but Kilduff broke back immediately, went on to take the set and then established almost complete control after 2-2 in the second set.

Colhoun claims that he has worked very hard for this championship and faces an even stiffer test against Feargal McDonough.

Fourth-seeded France crashed to the unseeded United States in a thrilling Hopman Cup match in Perth, Australia, lasts night.

On the opening day of the 640,000 week-long mixed teams tournament at Burswood Dome, the US provided the first big surprise by winning 2-1.

They snatched the honours when an almost unknown 19-year-old from New Jersey, Justin Gimelstob, and Chanda Rub in teamed up to outplay Guy Forget and Mary Pierce over three sets in the deciding mixed doubles.

The Americans won 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 - an amazing outcome considering Gimelstob had been in Perth only nine hours after rushing from the US to replace the better known Richey Reneberg, who is staying at home with his wife, expecting a child.

Earlier, title-holders Croatia made a flying start, beating Australia 2-1