TENNIS IRISH OPEN:JAMES McGEE is adopting a positive approach to his future despite blowing his victory chances in the semi-final of the Green Property Irish Men's Open.

The 23-year-old Dubliner failed to take advantage of two break points when leading subsequent champion Daniel Cox 6-5 in the third set before losing 6-0 1-6 7-6 (4/7) at the Fitzwilliam Club on Friday.

“Of course, I’m disappointed that I didn’t at least make the final, but it still was a very encouraging week for me,” said McGee.

“Prior to the semi-final I had three very good wins, and that will stand me in good stead over the coming weeks.”

The Castleknock man continues the chase for world-ranking points in next week’s ITF Futures hard court event in Chiswick, west London.

With his world ranking of 508, McGee is at number 12 in the 18-strong acceptance list of players, but 801-ranked Cox will have to slug it out in the qualifying round, in which he is the sixth listed player.

Also in the qualifying round are Irish duo Barry King and Daniel Glancy, who in his second round Irish Open contest against Cox, won the first set 6-0 before losing in three sets.

In the Irish Open final, unseeded Cox upset the form book by scoring a 6-1 3-6 6-3 win over the number seven seed, Andrea Falgheri of Italy, who had eliminated the second seed, Slovakia’s Miloslav Mecir, in the semi-finals.

It was Cox’s second title on the trot, having also come up trumps in last week’s ITF Futures event, on grass, at Frinton-on-Sea, Essex.