Early heartbreak again for Morrissey in junior event

WIMBLEDON BITS:IRELAND'S John Morrissey yesterday bowed out of the Boys Singles competition at Wimbledon in the first round for the second year in succession.

The Dubliner, ranked 37, was beaten by Australian Benjamin Mitchell, 3-6, 1-6.

Meanwhile, Conor Niland has been paired against a former world number one in the first round of the ATP Challenger Tour event in Braunschweig, Germany.

Today, Austrian Thomas Muster, who climbed to the summit of the men’s rankings in 1996, stands in the way of the Limerick man’s bid to clinch a second-round place in the outdoor claycourt tournament.

Muster, winner of the 1995 French Open, is now 42 years of age, and hasn’t played a tournament match since losing in the first round of the Roland Garros event in 1999.

Capriati is in Serena’s prayers

SERENA Williams says she will pray for Jennifer Capriati, who is reported to be recovering in hospital from a drug overdose.

According to reports, emergency services were called to a hotel in Riviera Beach, Florida, to attend to the 34-year-old.

Her father said she’s “recovering well” while a spokeswoman for the former grand-slam champion said she was expected to make a full recovery from an “accidental overdose” of prescribed medication.

“I probably will definitely see how that goes and pray for everyone involved,” said Williams yesterday.

Luckily for her, she lost the challenge

IF ANY umpire can be forgiven for a bad day in the chair it is surely Mohamed Lahyani following his 11 hours officiating the John Isner-Nicolas Mahut marathon.

And it certainly appeared all that tennis had got to the Swede during his much shorter stint overseeing Venus Williams and Jarmila Groth yesterday afternoon.

Lahyani confused both players in only the second game by awarding a point to the Australian when her first serve caught the net. And confusion reigned a few games later when a Groth forehand was called long and then corrected.

The player clearly had not heard the correction, but, instead of informing her, the umpire allowed the 23-year-old to challenge, prompting the farcical scene of Groth challenging her own good shot and then losing a challenge when it was shown to be in.

Give that man a rest.