The Morning Sports Briefing

Sharapova shows size matters

On a decidedly humid and sweaty day at Wimbledon yesterday Maria Sharapova progressed into the next round after seeing off Richel Hogenkamp, a Dutch player nearly a foot smaller than the Russian and playing in her first Wimbledon, in straight sets 6-3 6-0.

World number one Novak Djokovic was imperious as he beat Finland's Jarkko Nieminen in straight sets 6-4 6-2 6-3 to set up a tie against Australia's Bernerd Tomic, while Stan Wawrinka beat Victor Estrella Burgos 6-3 6-4 7-5.

As ever there is a notable absence of Irish players in SW19, with the nation's top ranked players such as James McGee struggling to gain wildcard into Grand Slam like some of their British counterparts, writes Johnny Watterson.

Rio route shut for men’s hockey team

Ireland's first potential route into the Rio Olympics was shut yesterday after Craig Fulton's side lost their World League last eight tie against Australia 4-1 in Antwerp.

US exodus getting smaller

In this week's GAA statistics column Eamon Donoghue assesses the numbers of players heading over to the US which, contrary to popular belief, are dwindling.

Richie Hogan believes Ger Aylward's masterclass against Wexford, in which he scored a very impressive 3-5 from open play, was no surprise and simply a realisation of a talent which has until now been hampered by injury.

Four-time All-Ireland winner Killian Young, who works in a bank by day, is envious of the recovery time afforded to the likes of JJ Hanrahan.

Lowry within touching distance of PGA Card

In his latest column Shane Lowry has bucked the trend of most who played in the US Open by saying he thoroughly enjoyed his week at Chambers Bay, and he is now within touching distance of securing a full PGA Tour card.

Graeme McDowell is looking to become the first man since Marcel Dallemagne in 1938 to win the French Open three times on the bounce following his successful defence in 2014, while in America Tiger Woods is looking to avoid missing two successive cuts on the PGA Tour for the first time in his career at the Greenbrier Classic.

World number one ranked amateur Leona Maguire competes in the Ladies European Masters at Buckinghamshire Golf Club today.

Pat’s head to Latvia

St Patrick's Athletic will be looking to take their good domestic form into Europe tonight as they travel to play Riga's Skonto FC in the first leg of their Europa League first round qualifier.

Elsewhere Cork City welcome KR Reykjavik to Turner's Cross and UCD take on Luxembourg's F91 Dudelange.

Geraghty to debut for McManus

Meanwhile Barry Geraghty is hopeful of making his debut as retained rider for JP McManus this weekend despite being admitted to hospital with a kidney stone on Tuesday.

What to watch out for:

Football

Three League of Ireland sides are in Europa League action tonight, with St Pat’s trip to Riga televised. Setanta, 5pm ko.

Golf

Graeme McDowell looks to make it three French Open wins on the bounce in Paris. Sky Sports 4 9.30am-12.30pm, 2.30pm-5.30pm.

Tiger Woods has never missed two consecutive cuts on the PGA Tour, can he keep that run going at the Greenbrier Classic? Sky Sports 4 9pm

Tennis

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray are all in second round action at Wimbledon today.

ORDER OF PLAY (from 11.30am unless stated otherwise):

Centre Court (1pm)

Christina McHale (USA) vs Sabine Lisicki (GER) [18]

Sam Querrey (USA) vs Roger Federer (SUI) [2]

Dustin Brown (GER) vs Rafael Nadal (ESP) [10]

Court One (1pm)

Robin Haase (NED) vs Andy Murray (GBR) [3]

Kurumi Nara (JPN) vs Petra Kvitova (CZE) [2]

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [13]vs Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP)

Court 2

James Ward (GBR) vs Jiri Vesely (CZE)

Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [13]vs Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS)

Tomas Berdych (CZE) [6]vs Nicolas Mahut (FRA)

Court 3

Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) [8]vs Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK)

Blaz Kavcic (SLO) vs Gilles Simon (FRA) [12]

Gael Monfils (FRA) [18]vs Adrian Mannarino (FRA)

Court 4

TBC

Court 5

Vera Dushevina (RUS) / Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP) vs Klara Koukalova (CZE) / Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL)

Sergey Betov (BLR) / Alexander Bury (BLR) vs Edward Corrie (GBR) / Kyle Edmund (GBR)

Robert Lindstedt (SWE) / Jurgen Melzer (AUT) vs Mahesh Bhupathi (IND) / Janko Tipsarevic (SRB)

Court 6

Gilles Muller (LUX) / Aisam Qureshi (PAK) vs Benjamin Becker (GER) / Roberto Maytin (VEN)

Chen Liang (CHN) / Raluca Olaru (ROU) vs Belinda Bencic (SUI) / Katerina Siniakova (CZE)

Magda Linette (POL) / Mandy Minella (LUX) vs Timea Babos (HUN) / Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) [4]

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) / Malek Jaziri (TUN) vs Marcus Daniell (NZL) / Marcelo Demoliner (BRA)

Court 7

Garbine Muguruza (ESP) [20]vs Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO)

Andreas Seppi (ITA) [25]vs Borna Coric (CRO)

Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) [26]vs Kristyna Pliskova (CZE)

Matthew Ebden (AUS) / James Ward (GBR) vs Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) / Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE)

Court 8

Benoit Paire (FRA) vs Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) [20]

Madison Keys (USA) [21]vs Elizaveta Kulichkova (RUS)

Lukas Rosol (CZE) 102 vs Pablo Andujar (ESP)

Court 9

Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) / Nadiia Kichenok (UKR) vs Marina Erakovic (NZL) / Heather Watson (GBR)

Leonardo Mayer (ARG) / Diego Sebastian Schwartzman (ARG) vs Ivan Dodig (CRO) / Marcelo Melo (BRA) [2]

Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) / Flavia Pennetta (ITA) [7]vs Elena Bogdan (ROU) / Simona Halep (ROU)

Jonathan Erlich (ISR) / Philipp Petzschner (GER) vs Treat Huey (PHI) / Scott Lipsky (USA)

Court 10

Radu Albot (MDA) / Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) vs Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL) / Santiago Gonzalez (MEX)

Juan-Sebastian Cabal (COL) / Robert Farah (COL) [16]vs Chris Guccione (AUS) / Andre Sa (BRA)

Alize Cornet (FRA) / Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) vs Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) / Lucie Hradecka (CZE) [8]

Court 11

Olga Govortsova (BLR) vs Alize Cornet (FRA) [25]

Tatjana Maria (GER) vs Ying-Ying Duan (CHN)

Monica Niculescu (ROU) vs Jana Cepelova (SVK)

Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) / Coco Vandeweghe (USA) vs Madison Brengle (USA) / Tatjana Maria (GER)

Court 12

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [5]vs Denisa Allertova (CZE)

Vasek Pospisil (CAN) vs Fabio Fognini (ITA) [30]

Viktor Troicki (SRB) [22]vs Aljaz Bedene (GBR)

Court 14

Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) / Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) vs Marin Draganja (CRO) / Henri Kontinen (FIN) [15]

Jamie Murray (GBR) / John Peers (AUS) [13]vs Luke Bambridge (GBR) / Liam Broady (GBR)

Varvara Lepchenko (USA) / Christina McHale (USA) vs Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) / Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU)

Court 16

Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) vs Camila Giorgi (ITA) [31]

Feliciano Lopez (ESP) [15]vs Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO)

Ken Skupski (GBR) / Neal Skupski (GBR) vs Marcin Matkowski (POL) / Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) [7]

Court 17

Samuel Groth (AUS) vs James Duckworth (AUS)

Casey Dellacqua (AUS) vs Elina Svitolina (UKR) [17]

Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) [1]vs Gero Kretschmer (GER) / Alexander Satschko (GER)

Court 18

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) vs Angelique Kerber (GER) [10]

Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) [15]vs Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP)

Jelena Jankovic (SRB) [28]vs Evgeniya Rodina (RUS)

Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) vs Ivo Karlovic (CRO) [23]

Court 19

Dominic Inglot (GBR) / Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) vs Rameez Junaid (AUS) / Adil Shamasdin (CAN)

Santiago Giraldo (COL) / Joao Sousa (POR) vs Mate Pavic (CRO) / Michael Venus (NZL)

Andrea Petkovic (GER) / Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 55 vs Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) / Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) [11]