THE Collins brothers, international Eoin and Robert, who received a walk over, remained on course for a semi final meeting in the Carlsberg Irish Close tennis championships at Donnybrook last evening.

This was hardly surprising in a competition that has yet to produce a shock.youngster Nick Malone, but again no surprise here either.

What was surprising was the appearance of Deirdre Walsh on court to contest the women's quarter finals. The second round results available to the press earlier in the week had Walsh going out to Susan Q'Neill.

It could be said that the demise of the US based Walsh was greatly exaggerated but she finally went out, and quite predictably so, to top seed Gina Niland.

The leading Irish player duly won in straight sets 6-1, 6-4 and has Jenny O'Brien as her semifinal opponent. Yvonne Doyle takes on Lesley O'Halloran in the other semi final following respective wins over Belfast's Zar Wolseley and Emma Doyle.