John Doran, the number two seed who has just graduated from Harvard University and is now free to sample the professional circuit on a regular basis, pounded his way into the quarter-finals of the David Lloyd-sponsored Irish Open indoor championships at Riverview yesterday.

The Dubliner produced the more proficient all-round game as he disposed of the interesting challenge of Jason Hazley from Ottawa who is here with his Dublin-born father Alan. The Hazley name has already made a major impact in Irish sport, for Jason's cousin, Ray, won an All-Ireland medal with Dublin in 1983.

Doran had the less flawed serve in what was basically a battle of big servers but in addition his ground shots were superior.

Hazley's experience on the South American junior circuit was not enough to unsettle the more mature play of Doran. He may have showed deft touches in the forecourt but was too often a little impetuous on the big point. He won his first game in the fifth of the first set and served to love to stay in the set after 25 minutes. Ten minutes later, Doran had closed it down, 6-2.

Confidence, which ran deep in Doran's game, proved an obvious factor subsequently as he also took the second set 6-2. For most of the match Doran looked on course to realising his immediate ambition of winning this title for the first time before moving off to foreign climes.

Top seed Peter Clarke found better angles with his more powerful ground shots to oust the gallant teenager Barry King.

Cork's Elsa O'Riain, holder of the women's title, made a tentative start and was forced to play two competitive sets against a honest trier in Patricia D'Arcy of Dublin.

"It's my Leaving Cert year and you could say I am a bit rusty at this stage but no less determined," said O'Riain, who is seeded to meet the seasoned circuit player, Yvonne Doyle, on Monday.

Men's singles - Third round: P Clarke bt B King 6-2 63; J Doran bt J Hazley 6-2 6-2; N Fagan bt F Lennon 6-4 6-2; S Nugent bt M Finnegan 6-0 6-0; N Malone bt G Kilduff 6-2 6-1; C Niland bt D Fluskey 6-3 6-3; D O'Connell bt N Boyle 6-1 6-3; R Niland bt B Kennedy 6-3 6-3.

Women's singles - Third round: E O'Riain bt P Darcy 6-3 6-3; A M Hogan bt L O'Shea 6-2 6-0; R Fagan bt A Wynne 62 4-6 6-4; G Niland w/o R Foley scr; A Leonard bt S Griffith 6-0 7-6; K Leonard bt C McNulty 1-6 6-4 6-3; Y Doyle bt A Sage 6-0 6-1; E Murphy bt A Ryan 6-0 6-0.