Green in strong form

Dubliner Joe Green believes his game is improving since he embarked on a four-year scholarship, two years ago, at Harvard University.

A facile 6-1 6-0 win over the talented James Colhoun in the third round of the Carlsberg sponsored Irish Close championships at Donnybrook last evening would suggest as much. Green is a regular on the Harvard team. "It's a lot easier to improve in America, where you are frequently playing different class players every week. At home there is less variety, you generally meet the same players all the time."

Peter Wright, the non-playing Irish Davis Cup captain, is not the least bit interested in improving his game at this stage. Untypical of a number two seed, he said: "If I meet Owen (Casey) on Saturday it will be to wish him luck in the final."

Wright won the title twice in this decade. After advancing to the fourth round with a straight sets win over Victor Drummy, he compared his days of winning finals with the present: "The difference between then and now is that my knees are killing me now." Wright is more interested in mustering his best team for the Davis Cup relegation match with Monaco later this month. "I am beginning to wonder if I will have a team. Tommy (Hamilton) has tennis elbow and Scott (Barron) has knee trouble. I would feel happy though with Owen (Casey) playing singles. He is playing the best tennis of his career at present." To the credit of an undaunted Victor Drummy, he ignored the percentage game and went for winners at every opportunity. And he scored some good ones as well before succumbing 6-2 6-3.

Gina Niland, the defending women's champion, duly cruised through to the semi-finals, beating Ulster's Zara Wolseley 6-1 6-1. Despair was often Wolseley's companion for she was much better at contesting the rallies than winning the points.

Claire Curran was not extended when getting closer to Saturday's show down with Niland. She reeled off 12 games to the discomfort of Della Kilduff. Also through to the penultimate stage is Yvonne Flynn and Lesley O'Halloran.

Men's singles - Third round: P Wright bt V Drummy 6-2 6-3, J Green bt J Colhoun 6-1 6-0, D Mullins bt H Henry 6-1 6-1, C Taylor bt C Jennings 6-3 6-1.

Women's singles - Quarter-finals: G Niland bt Z Wolseley 6-1 6-1, Y Flynn bt S Walsh 6-4 6-1, L O'Halloran bt H Butler 6-0 6-2, C Curran bt D Kilduff 6-0 6-0.