TENNIS: Lleyton Hewitt endorsed his newly-found status as world number one with a comfortable 6-3 6-3 6-4 victory over Sebastien Grosjean in the final of the Tennis Masters Cup in Sydney.

The Australian's 2001 season began and ended with victories in the city and began and ended with successes over Grosjean.

In between, he captured his first Grand Slam crown at the US Open and became the youngest player ever to top the world rankings.

Hewitt defeated the diminutive Frenchman on Monday in a tight round robin match but had little difficulty in the final.

A winner of 22 of his final 24 matches, Hewitt claimed his sixth tournament of the year.

Hewitt became the first undefeated champion at this year-end event since Germany's Michael Stich won the 1993 ATP World Championship in Frankfurt.

TENNIS: Elsa O'Riain made an auspicious start to her full time career on the WTA satellite circuit when reaching the final of the Haifa points ranking event in Israel at the weekend, writes Pat Roche.

The 19-year-old Cork girl has shelved university studies to play full time and although beaten 6-4 6-3 in yesterday's final by Israel's Heli Bargil, the number two seed, O'Riain has picked up her first points which puts her on the first rung of the WTA ladder.

Unseeded, she played exceptionally well all week and proved the surprise packet of the event, losing only nine games en route to the decider.

GOLF: Seve Ballesteros is to be honoured at the Irish PGA Centenary Dinner at the Burlington Hotel next week. A winner of five Majors - three British Opens and two US Masters - the Spaniard, who also includes three Irish Open victories among 88 worldwide wins, is to be the recipient of the "International Player" award.

Ballesteros' wins in the Irish Open came at Royal Dublin in 1983 and '85 and at Portmarnock in 1986. A more lasting connection with Ireland, however, will come on stream in mid-2003 when his first course design - the Heritage Club, at Killenard, near Portlaoise - will open for play. Next April, the Seve Ballesteros Trophy, which pits the top players from Britain and Ireland against the continent of Europe's finest, will be played at Druids Glen.

The organisers of the Centenary Dinner, which will present a number of awards across a broad spectrum in recognition of the contribution made by professionals and amateurs to the development of the sport here, have received a commitment from Ballesteros that he will attend the function in the Burlington Hotel on November 27th.

CYCLO-CROSS: After his previous defeat in the third round of the national cyclo-cross league, Irish champion Robin Seymour showed he was back on form when he took the fifth leg on Saturday in Newry. Seymour rode strongly to overcome a six-minute handicap, despite suffering a puncture, and finished one minute and 50 seconds clear of second-placed Roger Aiken.

League leader Don Travers also had to stop for a wheel change, but was hampered by a rubbing brake block for the rest of the race and finished sixth. However, with just one round remaining, the Banbridge CC rider has a comfortable lead and looks set to take the league.

The national cyclo-cross championships take place on December 8th in Lurgan Park.