Sports Digest

A round-up of some of the day's other sports stories.

GOLF: Colin Montgomerie has pulled out of an Asian Tour event in Beijing this week, citing "personal reasons".

His manager, Guy Kinnings, said yesterday that the Briton had been in the region overseeing the construction of a course and wanted to go home.

"He's pulled out of the Volkswagen Masters starting on Thursday because of personal reasons but I can't say more than that," said Kinnings.

He declined to comment on a report in Wednesday's Daily Telegraph that the golfer's marriage was "in chaos".

"That's personal to them and I have no comment," he said.

The paper also raised doubt over whether Montgomerie would contest July's British Open at Royal Troon because of personal problems, although he may have to qualify for the first time in over a decade.

Meanwhile, the Italian Open begins today at the Castello di Tolcinasco club in Milan, with three Irish players - Damien McGrane, Graeme McDowell and Gary Murphy - taking part.

SNOOKER: Stephen Hendry eased to a crushing 13-3 victory over Ian McCulloch at the world championships yesterday to set up a semi-final showdown with Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Matthew Stevens, who held off Joe Perry to win his quarter-final 13-10, will meet Graeme Dott in the other last-four tie.

Stevens held on against Perry to seal his fourth world championship semi-final appearance in five years. Perry recovered from 11-4 down to trail Stevens 12-10, but the Welshman clinched a scrappy 23rd frame to seal victory. Dott, who was never behind in a low-scoring match, beat David Gray 13-7.

Today's Order of Play: Semi-finals (best of 33 frames) 2pm: Matthew Stevens (Wal) v Graeme Dott (Sco), eight frames to play. 6.45pm: Ronnie O'Sullivan (England) v Stephen Hendry (Scotland), eight frames to play.

EQUESTRIAN: Virginia McGrath leads the Irish quartet at the Badminton three-day event, which kicks off in England today, writes Grania Willis.

McGrath is campaigning her gelding The Yellow Earl which, at 19, is the oldest horse in the 80-starter field. The horse has four successful runs round the British fixture and, after missing out last year, returns for a final run in a bid to earn an Armada dish for five completions.

With Olympic team places at stake, the Irish selectors have nominated Chatsworth, next month, as the final trial. The Yellow Earl is unlikely to be considered due to his age, but the remaining three Irish runners - Becky George Sherelle Duke and Eric Smiley - could make their way onto the Athens squad with a high placing this weekend.

GAELIC GAMES: Two goals in four minutes in the third quarter were crucial as Clare swept past Waterford by 2-9 to 1-10 in the Munster Minor Hurling Championship at Thurles last night.

Waterford led 0-5 to 0-4 after a scrappy first half and were two points clear when Brian Gaffney struck in the ninth minute of the second half for Clare's first goal.

Four minutes later, David O'Donoghue punished a mistake by Waterford goalkeeper Darren Ryan to score Clare's second goal and put them 0-5 clear.

Waterford came back and a Mark Gorman goal in the 31st minute left them a point behind. However, a point from Damien Browne clinched victory.