Irish challengers emerged with mixed luck in the quarter-finals of the Carlsberg Irish Men's Open tennis championships at Templeogue last night.

John Doran survived the battle of the big servers but Owen Casey succumbed in two sets to number three seed, Ross Matheson of Scotland.

Casey's match was truly showcourt stuff. It proved a terrific battle of classy shots; a pity it did not stretch to a final set. The power, accuracy and consistancy of Matheson's first serve was the real difference between the players in his 7-6, 6-4 win. Casey endorsed this view. "He couldn't really hurt me with anything else."

Casey can feel pleased with the manner in which he sent the Scot scurrying into the corners. Turning retrievals into winners under pressure and generally showing an uncanny knowledge of the court's geometry was Casey's forte. Doran earned a semi-final place by beating the number two seed, South African Kyle Rudman, in a final-set tie-break, 7-1.