Tennis Irish Indoor Championships: The top Irish tennis players, most of them playing away from home either trying to find improvement and the important ATP and WTA ranking points, all have one thing in common, they all covet the winning of the Danone Irish Indoor championships at Dublin's Riverview.
A record entry for this week's event, starting this morning and winding up on New Year's Eve, reflects the strong interest with full-time professionals Peter Clarke heading the imposing men's entries and Karen Nugent occupying the top spot in the women's event.
The enforced withdrawal of the men's number two seed Conor Niland because of a wrist injury may make things a little easier for other aspirants but seeded at six in the women's event is a young prospect in Rachel Dillon.
Niland, a student at the University of California at Berkeley under the guidance of former Irish Davis Cup player and national team manager Peter Wright, would have been the most likely challenger if Clarke's game is to be dismantled.
Dillon (16), whose family has moved to France in support of a special talent, has only to match her improved displays abroad in underage competition to make a big impact.
Elsa O Riain's reported improvement and maturing game on her WPA points searching mission makes her a formidable number two seed.
British-based Barry Fulcher has sufficient experience to crank up the pace in the men's singles and the current calibre of Conor Taylor's game, on his return from his US sojourn, should be another interesting factor to observe over the five-days action starting at 9.0 am this morning.
THE SEEDS - Men: 1. Peter Clarke, 2. Sean Cooper, 3. Barry Fulcher, 4. Conor Taylor. Women: 1. Karen Nugent, 2. Elsa O Riain, 3. Anne Marie Hogan, 4. Lesley O'Halloran, 5. Emma Murphy, 6. Rachel Dillon.
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