In brief: Niland bags Israeli crown
TENNIS: IRELAND'S Conor Niland yesterday capped a magnificent week in fitting style when he claimed the singles title in the ATP Challenger Israel Open, at Ramat Hasharon.
As in three of his four earlier matches, 222-ranked Niland faced a much higher placed opponent in Brazil's world No 116, the No 4 seed, Thiago Alves.
But once again the unseeded Limerick man defied the odds, storming back from losing the opening set to prevail on a 5-7 7-6 (7/3) 6-3 margin, thus chalking up his first Challenger title since August 2008 in New Delhi, India.
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MOTORSPORT: Mark Webber took pole position yesterday for today's Spanish Grand Prix as his Red Bull team continued its domination of Formula One qualifying.
Webber will share the front row with teammate Sebastian Vettel at Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo, near Barcelona. It's the third time in five races the pair took first and second place in qualifying.
The Red Bull drivers were more than 0.7 seconds ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton in third. Fernando Alonso of Ferrari was fourth in his home race.
McLaren's Jenson Button, the defending champion, qualified in fifth and seven-time champion Michael Schumacher was sixth for Mercedes in his best showing since returning after a three-year absence.
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GOLF: After a week where golf's '20 somethings' dominated the sport, Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez is looking to strike a blow for the over-40 year old's.
The 46-year-old Jimenez birdied five holes in succession mid-round on day three to put himself into second place at the Italian Open in Turin, carding a 68 for an 11-under par total.
Jimenez -- who is looking to win for the first time in two years -- will also boost his Ryder Cup selection chances with victory in the northern Italian city. However, the Spaniard dropped three shots over his closing five holes in to hand the initiative to Sweden's Fredrik Andersson Hed, who snatched 10 birdies including holing a bunker shot for birdie at 17 in a score of 63 to jump to 17-under par.
Ballyclare's Gareth Maybin, the only Irish player still competing in Turin, posted a 74 to drop to one-under par.
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Melissa Reid of England is the new leader of the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open in Belek and leads by two strokes on four-under par after a round of 71 yesterday.
Hazel Kavanagh remains the leading Irish contender six shots off the pace after a second-round 79. Of the other Irish, Rebecca Coakley is eight shots off after her round went down hill on the back nine.
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Ulster trio Luke Lennox, Connor Doran and Alan Dunbar are perfectly placed to end Ireland's seven-year wait for a home winner of the AIB Irish Amateur Open at windswept Royal Dublin.
Moyola Park star Lennox, 20, carded a second successive one-over par 73 to lead by two strokes on two-over par 146 from Banbridge international Doran, 27, who battled for his 75.
They will be joined in the final threeball by international Dunbar, 20, from Rathmore, who fired a three-over par 75 to share third place with England's Ben Loughrey and Galgorm Castle's David Kernohan on five-over par.
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CRICKET: England put themselves on course for a place in the ICC World Twenty20 semi-finals with a 39-run victory over South Africa in last night's Super Eight match at Kensington Oval.
They cashed in on Kevin Pietersen's second successive half-century to post 168 for seven -- a challenge South Africa never threatened to meet as spinners Michael Yardy and Graeme Swann took five big wickets for 55 between them.
England therefore remain unbeaten in Group E and, even if South Africa can see off champions Pakistan in St Lucia tomorrow, must simply avoid a wide-margin defeat against New Zealand later at the same venue to reach the last four.
Earlier, New Zealand won a thrilling last-ball battle with champions Pakistan in the Twenty20 World Cup yesterday, edging the dramatic contest by a single run.
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gaelic games: The future of Dublin GAA was unveiled last night with the official launch of the capital's most high-tech pitches.
Eight years in the planning and construction has created two full-scale all-weather pitches with sub-soil systems that are designed to be playable, whatever the weather, and which provide modern changing facilities.
And Clontarf GAA's multi-million euro pitches - a combination of private enterprise, voluntary donations and Lotto grants with a massive public input from Dublin City Council - are now being seen as a template for the way forward for other clubs in the capital
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CAMOGIE: A tally of 2-7 from Clair Grogan helped Tipperary beat Clare 2-14 to 3-7 and win their first Munster Senior title since 2004 last night.
As the game moved into injury time, Tipp led 2-12 to 1-7, but goals from Fiona Lafferty and Shonagh Enright cut the lead to just two points before Tipp regained their composure.
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HOCKEY: Lisngarvey booked their place in next season's Irish League by recording a 1-0 win against YMCA on Friday and followed it with a 3-1 victory over Bandon yesterday in the three-way wildcard play-offs.
Timmy Cockram, the Lisnagarvey international winger, was the architect behind their double victory, his goal deciding the issue on Friday before he notched up a brace yesterday.
Bandon and YMCA meet today to decide who fills the remaining spot.
Originally published in
