Boxing:Katie Taylor, the first Irish boxer in action on the second day of the 2011 European Women's Championships, has advanced to the quarter-finals after recording an authoritative 22-3 win over Italian lightweight Romina Marenda in Rotterdam today.
Cavan BC bantamweight Ceire Smith is also through to the last-four after dramatically dropping and stopping Hungarian 2010 European bronze medalist Csilla Nemedi in the fourth and final round yesterday.
But Michaela Walsh, Katie Rowland, Lynne McEnery, Kelly Harrington and Sinead Kavanagh all bowed out of the tournament following last-16 reversals. McEnery was edged out 12-11 by Lynsey Holdaway of Wales and Harrington lost on the dreaded count back following a 9-9 tie with Martina Schmaranzova of the Czech Republic.
Rowland was retired against England’s two-time World silver-medalist Nicola Adams and Walsh dropped a 16-9 decision to Poland’s EU champion Sandra Kruk.
Taylor, who is aiming for five European titles in-a-row, forced Marenda into two standing counts in the second round en route to taking a 14-1 advantage into the third frame. The three-time World champion will now meet Ayzanat Hajiyeva of Azerbaijan in the quarter-finals today just three wins away from claiming her fifth European gold on-the-trot.
Hajiyeva actually boxed for Russia at the 2008 AIBA World Championships in China and was hammered 20-2 by Taylor in the 60Kg semi-final in Ningbo city.
Smith, meantime, was trailing 8-4 in the last round versus Nemedi but floored the Hungarian with a right hook bang on the chin and the ref stopped the contest.Taylor, Smith and Lauragh O’Neill, who received a bye, will now fight for a place in the semi-finals and at least a bronze medal each tomorrow.