Sports Digest

A roundup of today's other sports news

Confident start to defence by Brady

HANDBALL:Cavan's Paul Brady began the defence of his Men's Open title at the World Handball Championships in Portland, Oregon last night with a 21-3, 21-3 victory over Missouri's Eric Hilgreen.

Brady, who also plays football for Cavan, is bidding for a third successive world title. Almost 270 Irish handballers are competing in the event.

Britain at home the goal for Ireland

TENNIS:If Ireland overcome Turkey at Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club next March then a Davis Cup second round tie against Britain, led by current world number three Andy Murray, could take place in Dublin the following July, writes Gavin Cummiskey.

That is presuming Ireland overcome Turkey on March 5th-7th and Britain beat Lithuania the same weekend. “This is probably the most attractive Davis Cup draw we have had in a number of years,” said Ireland’s non-playing captain Sean Sorensen.

A Davis Cup match against Britain has not occurred since 1969 and if it happens is scheduled for the July 9th-11th weekend with Tennis Ireland already considering a number of outdoor venues.

O’Sullivan sets up clash with Higgins

SNOOKER:Ronnie O'Sullivan overcame a battling performance from Jamie Burnett to book a second-round clash against John Higgins at the Grand Prix in Glasgow with a 5-3 win.

O’Sullivan was 1-0 and 2-1 up, taking frame three with a superb 126 break, but twice Burnett came back and the pair went into the mid-session interval level.

The Englishman then took a scrappy fifth frame and clinched the sixth with a break of 51 to establish a two-frame lead for the first time.

Again Burnett fought back, but a run of 71 in frame eight handed the match to O’Sullivan.

“John and I have had some great battles over the years. He has no weak areas so I will have to raise my game,” said O’Sullivan.

Azam wastes little time picking up another ban

RUGBY:Gloucester hooker Olivier Azam was last night suspended for 12 weeks after pleading guilty to kicking England captain Steve Borthwick in the eye.

Azam had only just returned from a nine-week eye-gouging ban when he clashed with Borthwick in Gloucester’s English Premiership defeat to Saracens last month.

The French man will not be able to play again until December 29th, which rules him out of Gloucester’s first four Heineken Cup matches and six Premiership games.

Harrington to take part in bid

GOLF:Pádraig Harrington and Michelle Wie are to participate in golf's final presentation of its bid to the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen on Friday. Golf and rugby sevens will present their final case before the IOC votes on whether to accept one, both or neither sport for the 2016 Games.

Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy, Ross Fisher, Oliver Wilson, Simon Dyson and Angel Cabrera have earned the right to complete the 16-man line-up for the World Matchplay in Spain in three weeks.

They are the five highest-ranked players on the European money list not already exempt into the championship. They will join Paul Casey, Retief Goosen, Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas, Robert Allenby, Jeev Milkha Singh, Scott Strange, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer.