Sports Digest/SNOOKER: Ken Doherty eased his way into the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open in Newport last night with a 5-1 win over Hong Kong's Marco Fu.
Doherty will next meet Stephen Hendry, a 5-1 winner over fellow Scot Graeme Dott. Also through to the last eight are Ronnie O'Sulivan, Mark King, Peter Ebdon, Barry Hawkins and Neil Robertson.
CYCLING: A French judge confirmed yesterday that a preliminary probe had been launched into doping claims against Tour de France six-times winner Lance Armstrong.
The judge from the Alpine city of Annecy has ordered local police to investigate after the publication last year of a book entitled L.A. Confidential: The Secrets of Lance Armstrong. Written by journalists Pierre Ballester and David Walsh, the book quoted Emma O'Reilly, the rider's former masseuse, as saying Armstrong had asked her to get rid of a bag containing needles used by him on the 1998 Tour of the Netherlands.
O'Reilly was heard by Paris police last year and has stuck by her allegations, French daily Le Parisien said yesterday.
Others witnesses were also heard by the end of 2004 and the case has been handed over to the Annecy judge who will decide after the police probe whether to pursue matters.
BOXING: Any doubts hanging over the proposed British and Irish tour of the Cuban boxing champions were assuaged yesterday by IABA president Dom O'Rourke, reports Pat Roche.
The ABA and IABA will definitely host successive shows against the world champions in Liverpool on April 8th and in the National Stadium, Dublin on April 15th. The opposition for both shows will be provided by the reigning champions of the Four Nations championhips which go on in Liverpool from March 24th-27th.
A team of Russian champions had been on standby for these dates in the event of the unavailability of the Cubans. The process of crowning the 2005 Irish champions will begin on March 4th and 5th.
The closing date for entries for the National intermediate championships (semi-finals February 4th and 5th, finals February 11th) is Tuesday next.
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