Today's other stories in brief
Nadal makes swift progress
TENNIS: Rafael Nadal avoided the same fate which befell Roger Federer as he strolled through a potentially tricky Rome Masters second-round match against Philipp Kohlschreiber yesterday.
World number one Federer was subjected to a humbling 2-6 6-1 7-5 defeat by Ernests Gulbis on Tuesday, but Nadal was quick out of the blocks yesterday and never looked back in a 6-1 6-3 win over the hard-working German.
Defending champion Nadal continued the excellent form he showed in winning the Monte Carlo Masters.
US team to challenge best of Irish
SWIMMING: Peter Banks, the Irish national high performance coach, has upped the ante for his swimmers in persuading a 52-strong squad from the US National Club Swimming Association to compete in the Irish National Championships which get under way at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin's Abbotstown today.
US swimming held a competition in March for the best under-18 swimmers in their country in Orlando, Florida, and the reward for the top juniors was a trip to Ireland to compete with some of Ireland’s elite at the four-day gala.
The effect is that the top Irish swimmers, who are used to easing their way through morning heats, can no longer be guaranteed a place in the evening finals without producing something akin to their best early on in the day.
Robertson finishes the job to book semi-final place
SNOOKER: Neil Robertson wrapped up victory over Steve Davis yesterday afternoon to clinch a place in the Betfred.com World Championship semi-finals.
The Australian had done the hard work yesterday, building up a 12-4 lead to leave him one frame from victory. By winning the 15th and 16th frames, Davis had avoided the embarrassment of losing with a session to spare.
It frustrated Robertson that he had to return today, but he was not worried and and had no cause to be.
Davis delayed the inevitable by winning the first frame of the afternoon with a break of 59.
But Robertson took the next with a brilliant break of 107 to seal a 13-5 triumph.
The afternoon session had started in bizarre fashion when master of ceremonies Rob Walker, welcoming the players into the arena, introduced Davis as Dennis Taylor. Walker was embarrassed but Davis took it in good humour, locating a pair of glasses and putting them on upside down, striving for the look made famous by Taylor, his 1985 final conqueror.
O'Reilly and Burnett advance
BOXING:Ireland's Michael O'Reilly produced a career best performance to outclass Cuba's World junior champion Yunior Boleri at the World Youth Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan yesterday.
O’Reilly, who boxes out of the Portlaoise BC, racked up a stunning 11-3 win to march into the last 16 of the tournament where he’ll meet Welsh lightweight Mitchell Buckland today.
Belfast light flyweight Ryan Burnett also won yesterday, a 3-1 decision over Italian Manuel Fabrizio booking his ticket into the last 16, but Chris Phelan is out after a 15-6 loss to Shaban Shahpalangov of Azerbaijan.
Reviewing yesterday’s action, Irish coach Jim Moore, who is working Ireland’s corner along with Jimmy Payne, was full of praise for the Irish trio.
He said. “Michael produced a brilliant final round and his confidence will be sky high after this win. Ryan was also in top form, but I though that the score didn’t reflect the amount of work that Chris did.”
Nine Irish riders set for Badminton
EQUESTRIAN SPORT: Nine Irish riders will be competing at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton horse trials this weekend when the cross-country phase takes place on Sunday, with the show jumping finale being staged on bank holiday Monday, writes Margie McLoone.
Making her debut at the four-star event is Kildare’s Camilla Spiers who, in preparation for this challenge, has been based in England for the spring season. The 20-year-old will be riding Portersize Just a Jiff, a 10-year-old bay gelding which is by the Connemara stallion Crosskeys Rebel .
The other riders and horses which make up the Irish contingent are: Capt Geoff Curran (Balladeer Alfred), Mark Kyle (Step In Time), Austin O’Connor (Pocket Rocket), Sasha Pemble (I’ve Been Dunn), Elizabeth Power (Kilpatrick River), Sam Watson (Horseware Bushman) and the husband and wife duo Michael and Patricia Ryan with Old Road and Fernhill Clover Mist respectively.
BBC One will be covering all the day’s cross-country action from 11am to 5pm on Sunday.
