In brief: Dolan on Open trail as Evans eyes up Canadian for opener

Lindie Naughton

BADMINTON: Jonathan Dolan, the 15-year-old winner of the Mount Pleasant Open earlier this season, is just one of 17 Irish players contesting the qualifier for the 97th Yonex Irish Open at Baldoyle next week.

Dolan faces Dutchman Ralph Storren in his opening match next Thursday, when 46 players from all over the world battle it out for eight remaining places in the main draw.

Top seed for the men's singles is Denmark's Hans Kristian Vinninghas, who recently won the Norwegian Open.

Irish No1 Scott Evans is seeded at No2 and will play Canadian David Snider in his opening match.

Evans has recently moved up to No 39 in the world rankings -- his highest ever position.

Ireland's top female Chloe Magee is seeded No5 for the women's singles and is on target to meet top seed Elizabeth McCann from England in the quarter-finals.

Tickets for the Irish Open are €10 (€5 child) per day; book at 01-8303028/086-6050870.

Junior Open joy for Ryan (15) in Galway

SQUASH: Sutton's David Ryan won the U15 title at the Irish Junior Open held in Galway.

Ryan beat top seed Michael Craig from Ulster in a hard-fought final that went to four games.

England's Richie Fallows faced an even tougher challenge in the U17 decider against Sean Conroy from Leinster.

Abroad, the Irish women's team of Madeline Perry, Aisling Blake, Laura Mylotte and Zoe Barr are competing at the World Team Championships in Palmerston, New Zealand.

Seeded No7, they beat India and Japan and lost to Australia in their pool matches.

World awaits Irish on road to Damascus

SNOOKER: Weather permitting, a small Irish snooker team should have arrived in Damascus, Syria by now for the World Amateur Championships.

Competing in the senior men's competition are Rodney Goggins and Martin McCrudden, while Joe Delaney and Richard McHugh compete in the masters' competition.

Goggins won the world U21 title in 1999 and spent a couple of seasons on the pro tour. McCrudden is Irish champion.

World-class snooker returns to Ireland next March when the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals take place at The Helix, Dublin.

Running from March 16-20, the tournament will feature 24 of the world's best players, including Ireland's Gerard Greene.

Leading the entry is former World and UK Champion Shaun Murphy.

Green team fired up for Finlandia Cup

TABLE TENNIS: After a long wait for flights, the Irish team of John Murphy and Gavin Maguire with NPC Andrew Dennison arrived in Helsinki for the Finlandia Cup.

Playing in the women's singles is Belfast-based Liu Na, who is seeded at No4.

At the Connacht Open in Castlebar, Ashley Robinson beat his fellow Ulster player Peter Graham to win the men's singles.

Leinster's Sam Logue lost in the semi-finals to Graham.

Welsh International Naomi Owen took the women's title beating Amanda Mogey from Ulster.

Snow better slope than Kilternan now!

SKIING: Delighted with the current conditions are members of the Ski Club of Ireland who operate Kilternan's artificial slope.

With roads accessible, the currently snow-covered slope is open 1pm-5pm from 7.30pm-10.30pm Mondays to Fridays and from 10.30am to 5.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays.